What is Written in Blood
by Seraphobia
Summary: As Lucy, Kouta, and the family of the Maple House try to bury their demons and strengthen their bonds, a sadistic evil stirs in the depths of the Institute that will threaten to destroy the life they have built together, and put those bonds to the ultimate test. When darkness reaches into their hearts, they must endure together, or lose everything.
1. Prolouge: Angel

**Update 5/13/2012: **I did a bit of editing on this chapter and reuploaded it so it might be a little easier to read and follow. I'll reiterate here that I do not own Elfen Lied, or its characters portrayed in this story. Sole copyrights go to Lynn Okamoto, and bless him for the creation of this series. I am not receiving any kind of monetary gain from this project, I merely wish to honor the man's work. I hope I am succeeding in that endeavor. As always, to my readers, I thank you very much for continuing to read this rather long story, and all of your kind words have been greatly appreciated. To new readers, thanks for giving me a chance. I hope you stick around and that you enjoy reading this as I have enjoyed writing it.

This story takes place after the events in my two short fanfics "One Bullet Left" and "I am what I am", and the timeline is some six months or so after "I am what I am". It is not necessary to read either of those stories to pick up on this one, as the summery is simply that Mayu and Bando are now better acquainted, and Lucy has come home.

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><p><span>Five years ago: The Kamakura Institute<span>

Erich Vanith watched the small child on the other side of the two way mirror glass. As unremarkable a Diclonius as any. At least at first glance. The physical characteristics were similar to the others, and the circumstances of her retrieval were similar to the others as well, an orgy of violence bringing them to the Institute's notice. He brushed a stray strand of carefully combed, jaw length black hair, out of his face as he watched her in the observation cell. He preferred to call it a "cell" instead of a room because that's exactly what it was. He wasn't the type for euphemisms, and preferred to call a spade a spade.

"Director Vanith?" an all businesslike, droning voice called out. Kurama he presumed, being sent like a dog to fetch him so that he could speak with Director Kakuzawa.

He knew exactly why he had been summoned here, and could really care less about Kakuzawa's desire to replenish his Diclonius bloodline. For all his bleating about how the subjects were just tools, he was secretly coveting them because they had what he did not have: pure blood. Unlike that desperate fool, Vanith knew exactly what to do with the Diclonius, and it had nothing to do with creating any sort of life. What did they all think they were doing here? They were weapons manufactures, and he damn well knew it. Some people made guns, others made bombs, the Institute created living weapons of mass destruction.

"A moment Professor Kurama," he said in his seducer's drawl of a voice. He really couldn't help the way he spoke, having to ease so many young girls into their new lives under the Institute's heel. One had to know how to comfort them, cajole them so that before they knew it, they were in chains having steel spheres fired at them to test their vectors and lying on operating tables suffering the effects from a myriad of experimental chemicals. A lot of test subjects died, and most of them at his hands, the last things they ever heard being his liar's tongue purring that everything would be alright.

The ones that survived were put to a most interesting use: assassins. But so many of those had to be destroyed by the explosives surgically implanted within their bodies because every one of them had eventually succumbed to the desire to become free of the Institute. Their usefulness was akin to the life of a battery, always dying on you just when you've gotten used to how well they work. Oh well, what was the old saying? Practice makes perfect? He'd make a perfect assassin yet.

He cocked his head as he watched the child on the other side of the glass, he wondered if she would be a good killer like so many of the others had been, at least for a time. He thought she might, there was something about her, just something different. She sat there…reclined really, restraints on her arms and the vector canceller upon her head. That technology was still in its early stages and Erich though it would be much more effective if the device could completely enclose their face. As it was, it was only a headband with a series of wires attached to it, which connected to needles that were inserted beneath the skin of her forehead. In order to make her further docile, they had stripped her naked, and Erich couldn't help but notice the developing body of the fourteen year old test subject.

"Do you think perhaps I could speak with number 5?" he asked.

It wasn't a real question, as he would simply do what he wanted anyway, merely voicing his intentions early. He began walking to the door that would take him inside the cell before Kurama could answer him.

"Yes sir," Kurama had said, perhaps to convince himself he had some semblance of authority. Erich was intrigued by this one, the way she held herself, the look in her eyes. There was something…wicked…there. Knowing, and aware of the realities and cruelties of the world. And she looked like she wanted to laugh in the face of it all.

He was dying to get to know her. Perhaps she would imprint upon him as many of his 'girls' often did? That would be wonderful.

He opened the door and stepped inside, closing it softly behind him. It wouldn't do to be harsh and businesslike right from the beginning by walking in and slamming the door. As the door clicked shut, she raised her eyes to look at him, but did not raise her head, the look in her eyes sent chills down his spine. Oh yes, he liked her very much. Long reddish-pink hair spilled down her shoulders and down her back, with more brushing against her thighs. It shined with natural oil and fell straight down like water, having little to no volume. The horns were slightly larger than he knew other Diclonius horns to be. She licked her lips when she saw him.

"Good afternoon number 5," he said in a soft, friendly voice, then began to cross the room slowly towards her. He would not rush, this had to feel like a social call.

"What's your number?" She said in a chilling whisper. He had not expected the sound of her voice and it stopped him dead in his tracks. She smiled, showing teeth.

"Excuse me?"

"They gave me a number when I got here. Five. It's mine, to keep forever and ever. It's the only thing they let me have in here. Nothing else belongs to me. Since they say that all I need is a number, it must be the most important thing in the world to have a number. So if you're an important man, you'll have a number too. You're dressed like you're important, So what's your number?"

"I don't have a number. I have a name," he extended his hand, "my name is Erich." He then remembered, she could not reach out to shake his hand, how silly of him. How did he just suddenly forget that? Those eyes…that voice….

"Erich?" she said slowly, coldly. Testing the name on her tongue.

"Yes, Erich. It's nice to meet you number 5." She started to laugh.

"Well then I guess you aren't shit…Erich." He bristled. He had NEVER been spoken to like that by a test subject. He reached into his pocket for the remote to the electric charge attached to her arm restraints, and was moments away from pressing the button when she spoke again.

"How many letters are in your name?"

The question seemed odd. "Five…actually," he answered.

She shifted on her seat, lifting a knee to rest a foot on the chair as she rolled her head to the side…it was a disturbing movement, as it implied seduction.

"Five," she whispered, "maybe you're not so bad after all." Erich let his hand back away from the button.

"You had a name before a number, do you remember it?" He didn't know what made him ask that question, just something so strange about this one. He was having trouble putting his finger on it.

"No," she said simply.

"No? You wouldn't be lying to me would you number 5?"

She smiled again and it was not a friendly smile. It was a smile of taunting, of playing games. He tired of these games and pulled out the device in his pocket.

"So, no name then?"

"My name is number 5." He pressed the button and watched her muscles lock up and a grimace of pain contort her facial features.

"mmm…mmmrrgggggaahhhhhhhhh!" He released his hold on the button and she slumped in her chair, her arm restraints the only things keeping her from sliding on the floor.

"That was a lesson number 5. You will answer any questions you are asked, and you will do whatever you are told, or there will be pain."

He said the words apologetically, in a conspiratorial tone, as if to say 'I don't make the rules'. He still needed to build rapport. She needed to see him as a confidant as well as a master. The eyes that looked up at him almost made him physically strike her. Hate was too small a word for what he saw there. She mumbled something.

"What was that number 5?"

"I said FUCK! YOU! MOTHERFUCKER!" He yanked the button back out of his pocket, intending to teach her a lesson she would never forget.

"Director Vanith?" came an amused voice spoke from behind him. Director Kakuzawa, of the Kamakura Institute stood before him at the door, leaning against it with a knowing smirk on his face.

"I see you've met number 5. Fascinating little thing isn't she?"

"Quite…" Erich said irritably, feeling a lot like he was just caught with his pants down. He put the button back in his pocket and turned back around towards the girl.

"Come back and see me…baby."

She laughed mockingly, a lurid sound. He wanted to strike her, but still…he felt drawn to the test subject. He would have her, he decided. She was going to be his newest project. Perhaps this one would last longer than the others he had to eventually kill after their expiration date came up and their minds snapped. This one's mind was clearly already gone for some reason prior to her capture. He could work with that. He couldn't imagine what in hell could cause a fourteen year old girl to act that way. It would be fun finding that out.

"May we speak Mr. Vanith?" Kakuzawa said, beckoning him out of the cell into the observation room. He walked out and saw that Kurama was still in the room, eyeing him strangely.

"The way you dealt with her," Kurama said, a puzzled look on his face, "do you typically always handle the test subjects that way?"

"Yes, it helps them to last longer. It would appear number 5 is a special case, but in most normal situations, if you become a person the test subject can latch onto, or attach some special meaning to, it gives them a will to survive. Something to strive for. A number of girls I have worked with have seen me as a father figure, or a close friend. It has even had the benefit of allowing them to survive for quite a while. My oldest girl was twenty-six before we had to put her down."

Kurama flinched, as if he had been slapped, but recovered himself quickly.

"You might consider adopting such a method of dealing with the Silplits," Erich continued, "that way you might have a few left to work with and not be calling my branch for supplements."

Erich looked pointedly at Kakuzawa, who laughed good naturedly.

"You know as well as I Director Vanith the delicacy of the test subjects and the intensity of our research here. We cannot afford the luxury of spending the time it would take to build an ideal subject to withstand the various testing procedures."

"Because your time is running out…isn't it Kakuzawa?" he said with a smile.

Kakuzawa glared at Erich and turned to Kurama, "could you give the Director and myself some time alone Professor."

"Of course, sir."

He turned towards the door, looking relieved and made a quick exit, Erich locking the door behind him as he left.

"How DARE you Erich!"

"Pipe down Kakuzawa…just having a little fun."

"I always knew the board had made a mistake, vaulting you to the position of Director so young."

"They saw I had a gift, and we both know my branch has had far more success with the Diclonius research than yours. But of course, that's because they don't really know what you're doing here."

"And I should never have told you."

"Who else would understand you?" He had him there, it was the one assurance Kakuzawa had, that Erich too wanted to change the world with his direction of the Diclonius research, though their ideas to that end were quite different. Kakuzawa wanted to discover what could strengthen the Diclonius gene pool in order to create a rebirth of that race, while Erich…his idea was a lot more simple. He would weaponize them, creating an army of Archangels that would carry his will across the globe. Oh sure, his mission statement called for the molding of the Silplits for use by his country's government as a method of deterrence, but it was Erich who was at the ground level, whispering into the ears of his country's "weapons". He would turn the guns on those in control, and write the pages of history in blood.

But first he had to find a way to stop them from burning out. That was becoming tiresome.

"We found a queen Erich." Kakuzawa said suddenly.

Erich was not as interested in the queens, they weren't integral to his research, but they did have their uses, being somewhat more powerful than the common Silpelit. And of course, they could reproduce, which was the primary reason Kakuzawa was interested in them.

"Kurama brought her in earlier this evening, along with a wounded child the Diclonius had been with at the time of her capture. They don't expect the child to survive of course, but the queen is in good condition. And still seems to be generally possessed of all her normal mental facilities, albeit her killing instinct of course."

"What does this have to do with me Kakuzawa?"

"Well, you see the board has been starting to ask some uncomfortable questions. They want to know what we are doing about the vaccine," he said, spitting the last word out like a curse.

Ah, now it was starting to make some sense. His branch was famous for its virology department.

"My son has been busy researching it as a way of placating and buying time," Kakuzawa continued, "but now that I have a queen under the most ideal of conditions, I cannot afford to put everything on hold now to put together some ridiculous cure for the virus. My son can't finish his research alone."

"So you want someone from my department?"

"Precisely" Erich sighed irritably, "Kakuzawa, I've been bailing you out for as long as I can remember. I might have someone for you but this time I'm going to have to ask for something in return." He would give it to him, he could see the look of desperation in Kakuzawa's eyes. He felt he was so close, and just a few minutes ago, Erich discovered that he had that feeling as well.

"Anything, name it."

Erich pointed to the girl in the cell, "I want her."

Kakuzawa turned to look at the girl, who was staring in their direction through the two way mirror. She couldn't see them, but she looked in that direction as if though she could. Kakuzawa smiled, "well, she's all yours then." Erich raised an eyebrow, "that easy?"

"In truth, I had her presented as an offering. I just never imagined you would have wanted her without any convincing. She is a queen as well you know?"

"Then why aren't you keeping her?"

"You were in that room, do you really have to ask? Besides, I can continue the research into the original Diclonii with this new queen. I don't need number 5 anymore. She's sterile as well, so breeding her would have been out of the question."

"I thought only the Silpelits were sterile, why is this queen sterile?"

"She came that way when we picked her up three years ago." Erich enjoyed his phrasing of that, as though she were a product which came in 'sterile', he chuckled to himself.

"She's a handful, as you've already seen, and can't breed. She was actually up for disposal."

"What are you telling me Kakuzawa? That you're passing off expired goods to me? That doesn't sound like much of a payment. Maybe I should ask for further compensation."

"She's powerful. Six vectors with a four meter range. She seems to prefer using them to move her arms and legs. She's been in and out of the medical wing because she's always breaking her own bones. We've had to perform numerous surgeries on her. Her bones are practically made of surgical steel, so she's a lot more resilient these days. We'd been testing out what she can handle by firing spheres at her at 350 joules."

Even Erich bristled at such a thing. You only did things like that when you were trying to kill the test subjects, or if you were trying to have a bit of sadistic fun. Kakuzawa seemed to read his thoughts.

"She was indeed wounded in the experiments," Kakuzawa continued, "but we had to keep at it for a while. She was able to withstand much damage, and she actually was able to deflect a few entirely at that level. So you see Director Vanith, while in my line of research she is certainly "expired goods" she is perfect for your aims."

Erich looked back at the girl, studying her every feature. He wanted to get as familiar with her as he could. It was the same way with every girl he took in to research and train. They had to become his singular focus, or at least he had to make them believe that they were his singular focus. It took a special kind of mind to deal with numerous test subjects he had in his possession. This one however, he knew it would be true for her. This one was going to have his complete attention.

"Would you like to come down to observation 7 and see Lucy?"

"Who?"

"The queen that Kurama retrieved. It's the name Kurama has chosen to give her. We have a tradition of that around here to name the test subjects. It seems to cut down on the confusion of the various numbers."

Hm…he rather liked that idea actually. Good on Kurama, perhaps he had it in him to be a good handler for the test subjects.

"No thanks, I'm not interested in…Lucy. I would however like a few moments alone with number 5," he said while pressing a few buttons on a nearby console. The two way mirror raised itself up automatically until there was only a regular Plexiglas window, and the test subject could see them clearly.

"What are you doing?"

"I want her to see you leave Kakuzawa. You'll get your researcher. I have just the one, she's young but brilliant. Name's Arakawa. She hasn't been briefed on the actual research taking place at my Institute or yours so there's plausible deniability if anyone on the board starts asking her any pointed questions. All she's been given are the bare essentials of the virus' nature in order to work on its cure."

"Perfect. But what if she should find out anything, or discover what we're doing here?"

"Then I expect you to handle it…Director."

Erich turned to look at the girl, "leave us Kakuzawa. And lock it on your way out."

Erich never took his eyes off of her as he walked back into her cell, Kakuzawa exiting silently, the final sound being the click of the lock sliding into place and the jangling of keys as they were removed from the lock. Erich closed the cell door behind him, which was silly but he wanted to feel the closeness of the room around him, and couldn't get that with an open door. Sure there was the window but a window wasn't a way out into what you were seeing. That was a concept he wanted to impress upon…

"Angel…"

She stared up at him, her hands clenching into fists and loosening in a steady rhythm. "No angels here baby," she said coldly.

"I quite beg to differ."

"Whatever you say."

He nodded, "that's right, whatever I say. From this day forward, your name will be Angel. You did not give me a name when I asked, so I didn't think you'd mind if I simply gave you one myself."

She watched him, studied him. It almost appeared she was doing to him what he had been doing to hear, taking in every detail. Her eyes rested on the electric shock remote he was still holding in his hand as he'd removed it from his pocket. Her smile faltered somewhat.

"I can be a good girl…"

Erich shook his head and closed the distance between them, reaching out to take her face in his hand and tilted it up to look into his eyes. He brushed his thumb down her cheek and he felt her press her face into his hand, a look of disgust and anger burning in her eyes.

"No Angel…I want you to be bad. Can you do that for me?"

Her stare was locked on his, and there seemed to be something passing between them but he could not figure out what. He was just as confused by her as he had been when he first walked into the room. She seemed to be settling into a role that was comfortable to her, but he just couldn't figure out what that role was.

"I can be bad…I can be so fucking bad…"

"Good girl." This…was going to be an interesting couple of years.


	2. Rainfall

**Author's Note:** Rating has been changed to "T" for the time being, as the content doesn't warrant "M" just yet, but eventually it will so if it stops showing up when Elfen Lied stories are pulled up, it'll probably be because the rating has been increased. Once again, thanks for reading ^_^

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><p><span>Present day, Kaede House<span>

The soft sound of rolling thunder woke her.

As the steady morning rain cascaded down upon Maple House, Lucy felt as though she were still caught between dreaming and waking, the calming sound of falling rain threatening to lull her back into sleep. It was the steady rhythmic sound of breathing beside her that made her fight the lure of sleep. As her focus cleared she looked into the sleeping face of Kouta, and she had to remind herself that she wasn't still dreaming. They had fallen asleep in a tangle of limbs and Lucy was happy that they could also have woken that way as well, uninterrupted throughout the night. It was the first time it had ever happened that way. They both had trouble with nightmares and sometimes thrashed around, one waking the other. The first few nights Lucy had cried with relief that at last there was someone to hold her when she woke from her blood drenched night terrors in a state of fear. This unfortunately was offset by the agony of shame and guilt when she'd comfort him from his own, because she knew that she was their source. She had cried then too, but tried to do so silently as she'd held him. Some of those times, he would look at her in fear, and even though it would only last for moments until he collected himself, they were terrible moments where she had to resist the urge to flee the room. Those had been some very hard days and for a while, she hadn't been sure that their being together was a good idea at all. She had to remind herself that she knew very well that it wasn't going to be easy, and that she had made the decision to fight for Kouta. It still made dealing with Yuka and Nana very difficult sometimes. It was as if in the beginning, they were all trying very hard to ignore the various elephants in the room. Such as the afternoon when Nana and Lucy, while doing chores in the hallway, had actually started an easy rapport and conversed as friends, until Nana had slipped on a small puddle of soapy water and her artificial leg detached. She'd grabbed frantically at a nearby table, but Lucy had caught, and steadied her. They had both stared at the leg lying on the floor, frozen, and unable to speak.

"_Nana…"_

"_Could you…it's hard for me to…"_

"_Of course."_

She didn't know why Nana didn't just use her vectors to pick the leg up, but she supposed her mind was going in a hundred directions and probably didn't even consider it. Neither had Lucy, who simply retrieved the leg, and reattached it to Nana, her eyes downcast. They had not spoken again for the rest of the day. Or the next three days. And Yuka had seemed to be everywhere, not daring to leave her alone with Kouta for longer than a full minute. It didn't seem like it was exactly intentional, as she always seemed to have a legitimate reason to be in whatever room she and Kouta occupied, but there she'd be, a forced smile on her face.

"_I'm going to be honest with you Nyuu."_

"_Lucy, my name is Lucy."_

"_Fine then, Lucy. I love Kouta, I have always loved him. I know he has chosen you, and I should accept that. I'm a grown woman, and this is what I should do."_

She had sighed and squared her shoulders, her gaze resolute, _"but I just can't. I've waited for him just as long as you have, and I'm having trouble seeing why I don't deserve him just as much as you do. Maybe if I can find the answer to that, and it's an answer I can accept, then I can let this go. But right now I don't, and I can't. I'm sorry, and I know this is going to cause strife, and I wish I could act differently about all of this but I know myself too well."_

She wanted to argue back to Yuka, but how could she? Staring into the face of the woman she had once wanted to kill so long ago, her arguments turned into dust. She had been more afraid to face Yuka than Kouta, because although Kouta had made his choice, and Lucy was happier than she had ever been in her entire life, Yuka was the one who had the right to be with him. It made Lucy feel like a thief.

_Fight for this, Kouta wouldn't want me to ever give up. _

"_As long as he wants me Yuka, I'm his. I know it's not much consolation but please believe me when I tell you I'll never hurt him, betray him, or let anything happen to him. He is my entire reason for living, and I would give up my life without a thought for him."_

"_You had better Lucy, because the day you let him down, I'll be there to pick up the pieces. I'm not giving up on Kouta. If you love him as much as you say you do, then you can understand how I feel."_

She did. She really did. So she couldn't fault Yuka. Though if she could be honest with herself, Yuka's constant overbearing presence was trying her patience. Kouta didn't seem to notice the silent battle, and she thought it was probably better that he didn't. He had enough on his mind, and this was something she could bear silently for him. It had been a silent agreement between Lucy and Kouta that they would say nothing of the terrible things she had done to Kouta's family. He had buried that hatchet with her and they were moving on as best they could, but he knew no one else would ever understand. Especially not Yuka.

Even Mayu had seemed distant, and she wasn't at the inn very much, always wanting to take walks with Wanta at random times of the day. There had been rare times when Mayu engaged her in conversation but it got uncomfortable at times since Mayu had really only known her as Nyuu, and since there was so much of that part of her life she could not remember, she couldn't relate very much to Mayu. There had been a lot of "remember when" in their conversations that ended in awkward silences as Mayu had to remember once again, that Lucy did not remember things Nyuu had done with Mayu. Despite that, Lucy found she really liked Mayu, who reminded her a lot of herself. She had always known there was something more to her story of why she ran away from home, but she didn't ask Lucy any questions, and so she extended the same courtesy to Mayu. They both knew that it was much more important to make your future than spend your life burying the past, even though it seemed like that was all Lucy was ever doing. Unfortunately, it seemed that Mayu didn't really like Lucy as much as she had liked Nyuu and felt the time Mayu spent away from the inn was her way to avoid Lucy.

Yes, they had seen some hard days and they were difficult still to this day. Lucy lived for the mornings, her desire so strong for them that she had found herself waking up on her own before Kouta, or anyone else rose from sleep. The precious hour or two she spent lying awake, wrapped in Kouta's arms made it all worth it and reminded her why she was trying so hard to make things right. She'd known there would be a price to be with him, and sometimes it really seemed like she would never be able to pay it, but the time she spent with Kouta made everything worth it. She reached her arms forward and pulled him closer to her, draping a leg over him, and he stirred, his eyes slowly opening. She prepared herself for that second of fear she often saw in his eyes as he recognized her and tried to separate his nightmares from reality, and felt such relief when this time, she did not see it at all.

"Kouta…" she whispered, so quietly he could barely hear her. He lazily raised his hand and brushed hair out of her face. Her eyes closed as he began to run his fingers through her hair, gently trailed them over one of her horns, then continued down her face, and her neck. She shivered at the pleasure of his touch.

"Still dreaming?" He said with a smile, it was their own special way of greeting one another, ever since that night they had been reunited. It was something that belonged to them, and them alone. She nodded, a warm and contented smile on her face. She wondered if he truly was beginning to overcome the barriers that still separated them somewhat. There was much they still had not spoken of. He had never asked what had been done to her in the Institute, they talked little about what she was, and ever since that night she had returned, they did not speak of Kanae or his father. Somehow, they would find a way to finish closing what distance remained between them. But in these moments, when the day began and it was just the two of them, they could pretend for a while that there were no distances. That they were just Kouta and Lucy, and could simply immerse themselves in the other's warmth.

His arms that had been around her already, tightened to draw her as close as he could, and her body automatically responded to him, sliding her leg further up his body, grabbing his shirt in loose fists, and burying her face in his shoulder.

"I dreamt of you again. It was different this time," he said to her.

"Oh?" Anything would be better than what he usually dreamt.

"I dreamt I had seen you in an art gallery. In a painting. Couldn't see much of you, but I could tell it was you. You were standing at the top of a hill that was overlooking the countryside, like in the pictures I always loved to draw back then. It was hard to see you because the sun was setting at your back, and I could see something faint behind you, like if wind were visible."

"My…hands?" she instantly regretted saying the words. Somehow, she felt talking about what she was would distress him. It was that part of her that killed his father and sister.

"Yes, but no. They didn't look like hands. They were like wings of vapor. The setting sunlight played off of them, and made them look like they shined. And even though it was a painting, you could see the trees swaying in an afternoon breeze. And I could see it gently blowing your hair, reveling your smile. Kind of like the way you're smiling now."

She blushed, "I loved your drawings," she said, daring to edge the conversation to their childhood, "I love them now." She really did, and enjoyed listening to him talk about art when he would. He had a way with words when he spoke of it, a way of describing images and emotions that was particular to him. She supposed it was the artist in him that gave him such beautiful language. As it had been one more thing repressed with his memories, he had not thought much about drawing, but in the time since his memory returned to him, he had picked up his old passion back from where he left off, as though no time had passed. She held on tighter, kissing his neck. The morning was perfect, rainfall creating a pleasant din, and the light of the morning dimmed to a soft glow from the overcast sky. Gazing at the clock she knew they only had minutes left before various alarms would start to sound throughout the house.

"Lucy…" he whispered, fingers tightening…damn it for being the middle of the week and a school day. She would have loved nothing more than to allow him to take her where this was obviously going. She pulled back a little and opened her mouth to being trying to convince him they ought to rise and get dressed, but staring into Kouta's eyes she instead kissed him, her eyes sliding shut and turning off the world around her until nothing existed but the feel of his lips and his body against her own.

_Nobody's perfect, and I'm not even close._

She hadn't thought their kiss had been as long as it was, but then she could hear the various alarm clocks starting to go off, and groaned.

"Isn't there some sort of rule against going to school when the weather's like this?" she said mournfully. Though she'd have preferred to stay home with Kouta, she was content with this as well. Establishing an identity for her to enroll at school with the rest of them had been a challenge. Abandoned not long after birth and her public records sealed by the Institute, she had no identification of any kind. But Kouta had found some loopholes and had gotten that worked out for her. He'd smiled after it had all been said and done and told her it wasn't the first time he was able to solve a legal issue with a technicality. She knew she had a lot to learn about the world but she had discovered she was quite reasonably intelligent. At least academically, as she had done better than she might have expected on the entrance exam. Of course, not ever being exposed to proper schooling as she grew up assured her that she would wind up at what Kouta liked to call the "safety school". That was fine with her. She didn't intend to be apart from Kouta if she could help it. There had been some concern at first about her being recognized by the wrong people but she always wore the bow out in public, and besides she remembered darkly, the people at that school that would have recognized her were either dead or missing. That was just fine with her too. She had very much meant what she said about destroying anything that threatened to take her away from Kouta. She thought a lot about that, and did so now as she rose from their bed and walked sluggishly to a dresser where she kept what little clothes she owned, and even some of those had been hand me downs from Kouta.

_We weren't the only ones…_

When she had escaped, they had set Nana upon her, which had been useless. And when Nana had escaped the Institute, they had set Mariko after the both of them. That had not been so useless, and was the first time she had ever been afraid. She supposed she owed Kurama for her life…the bastard. Where was he when Aiko died? A place like that would have other contingency plans. She didn't think they ended with surgically implanted explosives. There always seemed to be just one more Diclonius to set on them like dogs.

_What did they want with us?_

So many questions still plagued her. She was obviously being kept for something, and it wasn't for chasing wayward Diclonii. Kakuzawa's son thought she was going to be his breeding stock. Could Kakuzawa himself have been planning something similar for her? The thought filled her with rage.

"Lucy, what's wrong?"

She had become lost in her thoughts, her fists tightened around a shirt she had picked out for herself. She felt Kouta's comforting arms encircle her waist and she leaned back against him closing her eyes. The other Diclonius girls, Nana and Mariko, they didn't deserve the pain they lived. Lucy knew in her heart they weren't the only ones and she felt a sense of responsibility that went along with that knowledge. They were her people, already going extinct before they even had a chance at life. How could she sit idly by and let them all die in obscurity? But then by that same token, what did she owe her own race? She had no connection to the Diclonius, only humans. And it seemed so many of them were locked away for the good of all, as they had one and all perpetuated horrors on mankind before they were captured.

_I was treated so cruelly because I was different. But the others, were they really so different from me? Could they have lived like I did? Desperately wanting someone to love them and simply reacting to ceaseless cruelty? What if they could have a second chance…like I've had._

"I was just thinking…"

"About what?"

Kouta would understand, she knew he would. She turned around to face him.

"Kouta…there's something I need to do. It's been in my mind for a long time."

Something in her tone, he could read it, knew it wasn't something mundane and she could see him steeling himself for whatever she was about to tell him.

"But before I tell you what it is, I need you to understand some things…I need to talk to you about what happened to me after I…ran…from you all those years ago. I need to talk to you about what I am."

He looked uncomfortable, but was trying very hard not to show it. He was fighting too, just like her. She loved him so much for it.

"You know you can talk to me Lucy, I need _you_ to understand _that_," he paused and took a long breath, "I know you've been holding back in your conversations, and avoiding talking about certain things. It's made this easier on you, and I admit, for me too. But if this thing you have to do involves those things you've been avoiding then I want you to stop avoiding them. We're partners now Lucy. You can't keep me in the dark, and I can't just shut my eyes when you shine your light."

"Kouta…" He took her face in his hands and caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. "Can it wait until tonight?" he asked her. She nodded her head. He released her and stepped towards his own drawer. "Ok then. In the meantime we should get ready, before Yuka comes barg…"

The door suddenly slid open, perhaps a little too fast, as a person would typically do if they were trying to catch someone in the middle of something. She swore she saw a hint of disappointment in Yuka's eyes as she was greeted to the modest scene of the both Kouta and Lucy clothed, standing apart from one another.

"Good morning Yuka," Kouta said. Yuka smiled the forced smile Lucy was getting used to seeing on her face.

"Good morning Kouta, and good morning…Lucy."

She suddenly felt guilty about feeling annoyed with Yuka, she knew very well how Yuka felt and it must be hard beyond all endurance to have to watch the person she loved being with someone else. Of course, Yuka's permanent residence was never the Maple House, it had just become so over the past year, and she could leave at any time. But she had decided to stick around, to help "look after everyone". The truth was that Yuka couldn't bear the thought of them simply being alone together. She was of course staying for Nana and Mayu as well, but Lucy knew it was more because of Kouta. A selfish motive, but she couldn't fault Yuka. She never did.

_Nobody's perfect…nothing's perfect. Not even love…especially not love._

"Good morning Yuka," Lucy said, bowing her head.

"Glad to see you're up for a change. I had almost decided to start bringing in water buckets to wake the both of you. You're picking up some bad habits from Kouta you know?"

"Look how dark it is out there. I think the time of day should be proportionate to what it looks like outside, and THAT looks like five-thirty in the morning."

"She has a point," Kouta chimed in.

"Don't you EVEN start Kouta! It is too early."

"Won't argue that," Lucy said with a grin.

"You're both hopeless. Hurry up and get ready, we have to go soon." As Yuka turned to walk away, Lucy caught her gaze pause upon Kouta before she left the room. It was only for an instant but the longing she saw there made her own feelings for Kouta seem small and insignificant. Lucy sighed as she got her clothes together. She wanted to make things right with Yuka, she really did, it was important to her. But she didn't know if that would ever happen.

_The future's more important than burying the past, but you can't move on until you do. And unfortunately, I've got a lot of dead to bury._

Images of Kanae, Kouta's father, feelings of murderous hatred towards Yuka who would have been her third victim. She could never know how Kouta had saved her life that awful night. She owed Yuka, and wanted to apologize to her for her intent, but she could never do that. Not without unraveling the life she was starting to build here.

_A future free from illusions and lies…_

Yuka was a living reminder of her sin, so Lucy needed acceptance from her. Perhaps it was foolish, but it was the only way she could think of to make things up to her for a crime Yuka didn't even know was committed against her: Lucy had wanted her dead. That atonement would never come she knew, because she had walked back into their lives and stolen Yuka's love away from her.

_No, I didn't take anything that wasn't given to me. Why am I doing this to myself? _

_Because even though Kouta has forgiven me…I have not forgiven myself._

_Maybe I never will…_

She finished dressing and retrieved her books from a simple bag she had picked out while shopping with Nana and Yuka. They had both urged her to buy something a bit more colorful as the one she did pick out was a basic black and was clearly functional rather than stylish, but Lucy liked it. It's only adornment had been the small gold plate from the music box that she sewed onto the front. It's caption reading "Lilium". Once ready she joined Kouta and Yuka at the door, and huddling under umbrellas, they walked off to school, the sky dark and foreboding. Lucy felt at home with the sight; it matched what she felt in her heart…

_We were not the only ones… _


	3. Holding on

**Author's note:** As college is starting for me soon, updates from here on may be somewhat slower, but by no means will they stop. I care a lot about writing this and intend to see this through to the end and will spend whatever free time I have working on it. Once again, feedback is greatly appreciated _(many thanks so far to Kalamity N Kaos. Hope I don't let you down ^_^)._

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><p><em>Hello Papa…I've come to visit you.<em>

In the cold rain, under an umbrella in the dim light of the stormy morning, Nana stood her vigil at the bridge where her father had left her forever, in a violent flash of fire and smoke. Leaning against the railing, she stared out at the water, observing the tumultuous waves stirred by the wind.

"Can you hear me?" Nana whispered sadly, "I feel like you do sometimes, I need to believe that you do. Somewhere." She reached a hand out and grasped the railing of the bridge, water crawling over her hands and between her fingers, sliding down her wrist before falling to the ground. But she couldn't feel it with her synthetic arms, and her eyes filled with angry tears. She wanted to feel the cold on her hands, but settled for the chill that seeped through her bones as the wind sliced her like knives. She wanted to feel anything, just anything but the terrible emptiness she was silently living day in and day out. He was gone forever, she would never see him again. Nothing to strive for, nothing to live for. Everything she had done was for her father, and she felt luckier than most girls in the world. He had loved her, and risked his own life to give her freedom. It was so unfair, she never stopped thinking that. So unfair that he had to die. She was finding it harder and harder to find reasons to keep going. It was subtle at first, a stray thought of wishing she'd never wake here, a bout of apathy and listlessness there. Until the days came when she found herself largely unresponsive to anyone, no matter how hard they tried to reach her, she was so far away from them all. The only one who tried harder than the others was ironically Lucy. A dim part of her appreciated the gesture, when she could get over her burning anger at what Lucy had done to her, but even that was beginning to grow pale, and she couldn't make herself care as much about that anymore. She really wasn't too angry with Lucy anymore, and had grown to respect her. She was trying so very hard, and she had a lot to atone for, but Lucy was brave enough to face it all without running away. Nana wanted to tell Lucy these things but when she looked in the other woman's eyes, she just couldn't. It was easier to be objective when she didn't have to look at her. The other thing getting in the way was that Lucy hated Kurama…papa.

"_Don't you DARE talk bad about papa!"_

"_Your "father" was a bastard Nana. I don't know how you can't see that. The things he's done…"_

Nana had wanted to rip Lucy to bloody shreds. The conversation had been light until Nana had brought up something innocuous about her father, which provoked Lucy's outright scorn of the man. Nana just couldn't take it and she damn well wasn't going to listen to it.

"_I don't care what he's done! If he DID do anything bad I hope he did the worst of it to you. You're wretched and I HATE you!"_

She hadn't meant to say that, and she didn't really think it would have bothered Lucy anyway, because Nana still saw her as the broken psychopath she remembered. But she realized her mistake when she saw Lucy flinch like Nana had physically slapped her. Nana saw it as an opening and kept going.

"_You're scum. If you had just stayed locked up none of this would have happened. Everything would have been fine…"_

"_No it wouldn't have Nana!" _Lucy said…were those tears in her eyes? That was absurd, "_you'd still be locked up in the Institute, you'd maybe even be dead by now!"_

"_I WISH I WERE DEAD RIGHT NOW! WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?" _Lucy had taken two steps away from her…she had said it. She actually said it out loud. Hearing the words aloud tore her heart to pieces

"_I miss papa so much…"_

"_Nana…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"_ She'd fell to the floor and cried, wanting more than anything for someone to hold her, but there was no one but Lucy, and Nana had told her she hated her. She didn't really mean it, she knew Lucy had suffered too, and perhaps some of what she said could even have been true. Lucy had taken a step towards her and started to reach a hand out. As angry and as heartsick as she was, she would have accepted comfort from Lucy. And felt a bitter cold rush though her when Lucy stopped and lowered her hand, and her eyes, then walked away from her, leaving her to slump against the wall crying bitter tears until Kouta had come home from shopping. By then she had reverted back to being unresponsive, still lying against the wall where she had fallen, a drying wash rag in her hand, a blank stare in her eyes. She felt hollowed out and after she refused to acknowledge Kouta's presence when he called out to her, he just silently picked her up, as carefully as he could, and carried her to her room, putting her to bed. That night she had dreams where she was a mannequin in a cupboard, a copy of something perfect that she could never be, the door of the cupboard cracked so that she could see her father clearly, reading bedtime stories to a girl that looked like her but wasn't her. She wanted so badly to be loved and would do anything to make him pleased, but she was powerless unless he walked over to pull on her strings and give her life. Sitting alone in the dark of the cupboard, she was more like a corpse, or perhaps like something that had never lived at all. She'd woken up with a cry and despaired that waking life was even worse than the dream. At least dreams you could escape when the sun rose in the morning.

"Nana has been a good girl papa," she said aloud to the wind and the rain, "I've been trying really hard for you. I wish I were a stronger person though, I feel like…"

The sound of a passing car interrupted her thoughts. It was just one car, there and gone in a moment, like so many things that Nana wanted to keep. She wanted to grasp the railing furiously and feel pain in her hands, she wanted to vent her frustration over her sadness and anger upon herself, but all she could do was…

"Do you hear me papa you…BASTARD! YOU LEFT ME! You left me! How could you!"

She screamed with all her might, thunder and rain drowning her out.

"Why did you let them hurt me?" She cried out, not knowing where the words were coming from, "what was it all for! Why couldn't we have just lived together! Why couldn't we just be a normal family! Why why why? I don't even know who you are! I don't know who you were! I never knew you, but I knew you loved me! That was enough when you were alive but you're not alive and I need something, ANYTHING!"

She held onto the railing as hard as she could to keep from falling down…

"Anything," she whispered mournfully, "to prove that you were ever alive."

It was a ritual, her vigil upon the bridge where her life started bleeding slowly out. She lost count of how many times she'd cried and screamed and raged alone in the silent mornings. It was the only thing that kept her from shutting down completely, exorcising her demons constantly. It had been met with contention at first that she would disappear in the mornings before her and Mayu went to school together, there was much worry and scolding until she explained to them quietly that it was something she needed to do. Kouta, ever respectful of people's own secrets and personal boundaries, simply accepted it. When she'd looked at Lucy though, she saw true understanding in her eyes. Lucy knew very well where she went in the mornings and why, but she never said a word. Only once had they crossed paths in the morning as she was leaving. Lucy had been on her way to the bathroom and had looked to have been in a cold sweat. She figured Lucy wanted to wash her face.

"_Nightmare?" _Nana had asked. Lucy nodded her head.

"_You going to see him?" _Lucy had asked in return. Nana had not wanted to answer her, even though it had been obvious what her intentions were. As if she were trying to keep his memory safe from Lucy. She'd reached into the closet and pulled out a coat, handing it to Nana.

"_It's cold out. Please take it."_

"_I don't need your pity."_

"_Nana, please…"_ Nana had bristled, as she usually did when she interacted with Lucy, though she had to admit, she really didn't deserve it a lot of the time. Or really at all anymore, but she wasn't about to admit THAT much just yet.

"_You think this is stupid don't you? What would you know?"_

"_I know what it's like to lose people you care about, I know what that does…"_

"_No you don't. I don't think you ever cared about anything but yourself." _Again, she hadn't meant to be so cruel, but she just couldn't stop the words from coming out when Lucy was around. Why couldn't it have been Nyuu that came back? That would have been so much better…was "better" the right word? If she was honest with herself, "easier" seemed more apt. Lucy had looked away for a moment, the look in her eyes something that Nana recognized. They were the eyes of a person slipping into memory, of not seeing what was in front of them. She thought she heard her utter a name, "Aiko"? She must have been hearing things.

"_I'm sorry Nana."_

"_I told you I don't need…"_

"_No. I wanted to tell you I'm sorry for not understanding why you loved Kurama…your papa. I can't take back what I said about him because it's true. True for me, but not for you. If Kouta can love me after all I've done, then it would be hypocritical of me to judge your love for him."_

"_After all you've done, what do you mean?" _A paralyzing look of fear flashed across Lucy's face and she fell silent.

"_I just meant…I…" _Nana stepped forward and took the coat from Lucy.

"_Thanks…Lucy. You're right, it's pretty cold. I can feel the draft from the front door." _She smiled a reassuring smile at Lucy, then walked past her. There had just been something in her eyes right then, that made Nana feel strangely protective. Yes she was still angry with Lucy, but she didn't have it in her to be cruel enough to rip her secrets from her simply because Nana knew they were there. Thunder rolled overhead and a few more cars passed. People were waking up and were on their way to work, it would be time soon to start walking to meet Mayu. She smiled then, and it was genuine. Feeling better now that she had released some of her pent up emotions, she started looking forward to hanging out with Mayu, who was her best friend, and like a sister to her. She let the thought settle in and give her strength. Maybe her father was gone, but she did have a family. She had to be strong for them somehow, even though crushing despair filled nearly every waking moment. Was it supposed to hurt this bad and for this long when someone you loved was gone? They all told her things would be better in time, but she was getting tired of waiting for them become fine. At least in the meantime, she had her father with her in the ways that counted. He lived on in her heart.

"Thank you papa…for watching over me this morning. I'll come back and see you real soon."

She started her walk to where she knew she'd catch up with Mayu, and tried to clear her mind as best she could. And tried to fight the desire to go back to that beach and search for the capsule she had been placed in to escape. Kurama had left her an audiotape but in her haste to leave, she had forgotten to take it with her. She had searched very long and very hard to find it again, but it wasn't where she'd left it. Perhaps it had been retrieved? She was angry with herself for not thinking to take it with her.

"_I don't know how long it will take, but I'll be with you again someday."_

She just wanted to hear those words, so that it would be a little easier to believe them. Though she knew in her heart, the only way they would ever be together now, is in death. Doing the best she could to banish those thoughts, she made her way down the side streets, where the rainwater overflowing from stopped up gutters seeped down upon, creating rivers between buildings, using her vectors to lightly vault her over areas where those rivers made small lakes in her path. She usually tried not to use her vectors out in public, remembering what her father had said about keeping a low profile, but it was early, the side streets were deserted, and she really didn't want to get thoroughly soaked to the bone before she had to sit in a chair for a number of hours with wet socks. And she also didn't want to take too much time negotiating a careful way around it all because it would make her late meeting Mayu, though really, she didn't think she had much to worry about there as she was making good time. She'd actually beat Mayu to the bakery they met at to continue their walk to school. She would say "good morning" with a warm smile and Nana would reply in kind, and they would walk together getting lost in whatever they talked about that excited or enthralled them at the moment, and Nana would feel content and happy. And she would try very very hard this time to hold on to that feeling because that's what she was doing these days; holding on. She saw the dim lights of the shops ahead, and the bakery that Mayu had often visited during her years as a runaway. The woman that ran it, Haruka, was a kind person that Nana had taken to instantly. The stories she had told of taking care of Mayu had been sad, yet happy ones. She had not really known Mayu had been a runaway, for if she had, she would have called the police. Mayu had merely led her to believe she had just been very poor. Which she supposed was true enough. Mayu was really smart and knew lots about the world she had lived roughly in for many years, and was always there to help Nana understand things, or bail her out when her ignorance got her into trouble. She didn't know why she wouldn't talk to Mayu about how she felt deep inside, about how hard it was for her most of the time. She was sure Mayu would understand, but a lot of the time she simply didn't speak of it because she didn't usually feel sad around Mayu. With a start, she realized she'd been standing there waiting for a while…where was Mayu?

"Nana!" There she was. With a smirk and a playful jab ready about how she beat her to the bakery, she turned towards where she knew Mayu would appear…huh?

She wasn't coming from the direction of the Maple House, but rather from the beach. Why would she…

"Hey Mayu, where have you been? I never usually wait this long for you."

"You must have woken up earlier than you thought," Mayu said with a lilting voice of soft velvet that was starting to change from girl to woman. Nana didn't think she woke up any earlier than she usually did and Mayu's smile seemed strangely forced.

It appeared, Nana thought, that she wasn't the only one who couldn't talk about certain things.

"I guess so," Nana said with a smile, letting it drop. Mayu seemed relieved, and settled back into her usual demeanor. They walked for a while, exchanging light banter about humorous things they had seen or done the day before, talked briefly about what they planned to do at school though that topic was more to fill silences, not because either felt uncomfortable with them, but they simply enjoyed talking with one another. Going to school was quite the experience, it was an entirely different world. She could pass tests well enough. That was a skill given to her in the Institute, not that she had actually been schooled there, but rather the instinct of knowing what her superiors expected of her, and simply doing what was necessary to complete the test. She approached the tests with the same confidence and seriousness she had shown in the Institute, wanting to please Kurama. So it made her come across as quite intense whenever she was given an assignment by the teacher.

"_I won't let you down!"_ She'd declare loudly, then set about her tasks with a frown of concentration, to the open mouthed surprise of the students and teacher alike…doing basic math with gritted teeth. Mayu would just giggle and try to explain that she didn't have to take everything so seriously. Even so, Nana still leapt at each simple task like a girl on a mission. It had become something of an expectation now during class. The two of them had made a number of friends and were creating their own worlds, their own lives. It gave Nana the sense of truly moving forward.

But she still stood her vigil in the mornings. She could never move on completely yet, she knew she was not ready to, and maybe never would be.

"Mayu?"

"What is it Nana?"

"Do you ever miss your father?" Mayu stopped dead in her tracks, a faraway look in her eyes.

"Mayu?"

"I…" she swallowed, "I didn't know my father, so I guess I couldn't miss him very much, not knowing him and all."

"Oh…" Mayu was still standing there, with that look in her eyes she had recognized in Lucy. Eyes which saw the past, and wished they could forget it.

_We're lost souls, clinging to one another for warmth. _

She felt like she was coming dangerously close to a topic which might upset Mayu, but she needed to talk to someone about this.

"I miss papa all the time, and it hurts a lot to think about him. Even when I'm smiling and trying to be happy, like I know he would want me to. I feel like twice the failure. Once for letting myself down by being sad, and twice for letting him down too."

Mayu resumed walking and took Nana's arm in hers, tilting her umbrella to the side so she could stand under Nana's.

"I know how sad you must be. I feel awful for you when I see how you are at home. You're so quiet lately."

"I just don't know what to say anymore. I feel all these terrible things in my heart and when I try to talk about them, I just can't figure out the words to describe them," Nana looked away, "I get really angry sometimes, and I take it out on Lucy a lot. It's easy to do it because of how she hurt me, but it makes me feel ashamed of myself when I do. I just can't stop though. I don't even think I hate her, but I feel like I ought to, so I act like it."

Mayu remained silent, just listening. "I feel like I don't know which way to go in life. He was always there telling me what I needed to do. Live peacefully, be happy, but he didn't tell me how to do those things, didn't show me how to feel those things because I don't feel peaceful and it's hard to be happy…I even get angry at him sometimes. Like he cheated me somehow, and I hate myself for feeling that way."

Mayu squeezed her arm, "Nana, I may not know much about how a father is supposed to treat his daughter, but from everything I ever saw, I know he loved you more than anything. Maybe he just wasn't able to love your or be with you the way that you hoped he would, and I don't think it's his fault if that's true. I'm sure he would have done anything for you if he could have."

"He could have lived, he killed himself…," _and Mariko with him._ But she couldn't think of the name without feeling anguish. It was terribly wrong of her she knew, but she hated Mariko. Not because Mariko had wanted to kill her, but because she was his real daughter and he had chosen to go to death with her. Somehow it was all her fault, it was all her damn fault and she was the wretched thief in the night that had stolen the most important thing in Nana's life.

"Oh Nana…" she realized she had not actually told Mayu that, "I'm so sorry, I didn't even know…" Mayu hugged her, letting her umbrella drop to the ground. She was trying to comfort Nana, who hadn't even realized the sorrow creeping back into her own voice. She hadn't even realized she wanted that comfort because she hadn't received much of it at home, being as distant as she was from everyone. The feeling rushed through and hit her like a fist and a sharp sob escaped her lips before she even knew she had felt like crying. She forced it back, and reached a cold, plastic arm around Mayu.

"It's ok Mayu, I'm sure he had his reasons. I just really wish I knew what those reasons were. I didn't know him either, I just knew he loved me."

_But that's not enough anymore. I have to know who you were. No matter what it takes, I'm going to find you again…I promise papa. I'll be with you again somehow, no matter how long it takes._

She pulled back and smiled at Mayu. "Thank you Mayu."

"For what?"

"Listening…it helps a lot being able to talk to you. You don't have to do anything, just be my friend. You make things clear sometimes without saying a word…but I guess that doesn't make any sense."

She saw Mayu turn back to the beach briefly, "actually…it makes perfect sense." They resumed walking again, and after a while, they were able to return to normal conversation until they reached the front doors of the school. Leaving their pasts, their secrets, and their woes behind them for a little while.


	4. History of Violence

**Author's Note: **This chapter builds off of the foundation of Bando's fate in my previous oneshot fan fic "One Bullet Left".

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><p><em>This beach is always filthy.<em>

Bando took a long drag on his cigarette, standing under the relative shelter of the wharf's storage area, out of the rain, as he saw the litter that had collected over the past few days.

_Can't leave this place unattended for a few lousy days._

He didn't know why he kept up with cleaning the litter on the beach. There was no real need for it anymore, Lucy was gone, killed by the S.A.T reinforcements that had come in that night when he had been recovering in Mayu's shelter, which was now the closest thing that came to a home for him. He had been bitter about that, having wanted to be the one to end that bitch's miserable life. But he supposed he should just take what he could get. She was gone, according to the report he was able to get a hold of. Evidently she had gone into some sort of berserker rage, downed a helicopter and was distracted by some survivors just long enough for that crash to claim her life. He wished he could have been there. Absentmindedly, he began turning the dial on a radio, trying to once again find the changing frequency of the Institute's private military force. He had figured out certain patterns and frequencies that S.A.T control liked to commonly use. Not very smart of them to be so predictable but then again, you had to know that you were looking for S.A.T command in the first place to be looking for it in such a way and most didn't. As far as the public knew, they were just S.W.A.T. Bando had heard some interesting messages of late, and had been traveling around Kamakura investigating the things he had heard. The messages had been broken up with static, due to the condition of the radio, but he had heard enough.

"_Director…landing zone in ten…Diclonius number fi…demolition protocol…contingency measure codename: Red Sky…extra security, there's been a possible Diclonius sighting in the Kama….ra vicinity."_

The radio had crapped out then, as it often did. So, there were going to be more pink haired witches skittering around in Kamakura? The Diclonius they mentioned before the other one, they had been about to refer to it with a number, meaning it was the Institute's property already, so the "sighting" wouldn't have anything to do with that one. So that meant there was one running free around Kamakura. Though they could be talking about that Nana girl. If they were then that was just freakin great. He was SURE that he'd have Mayu five miles up his ass begging him to do something about it. Like those monsters couldn't protect themselves. He would be goddamned if he lifted a finger for one of those freaks. Unless that finger was on the trigger of a gun he was aiming at their faces.

He'd wanted to be sure they weren't looking for Nana, so he would occasionally shadow her and Mayu as they made their way to school. He told himself it was simply to determine if there was a rouge Diclonius that wasn't Nana, and not because he was looking out for Mayu, who didn't need looking out for. And so what if he'd beaten the dogshit out of the guy he caught stalking them down the street, obviously waiting for an opportunity to get them alone. He'd waited until the man felt he had his chance, just to be sure, and when he saw the man lunge, Bando moved faster, snatched him up, drug him into an alley, and beat him within an inch of his life, pistol whipping him after he couldn't fight anymore until he saw shattered teeth dribble out of his mouth like breadcrumbs. Though afterwards, he had a lot of trouble convincing himself that his sudden rage hadn't been because he was protecting her. Some days he was more honest with himself than others, such as this morning when Mayu had come to see him. Awake, with hard eyes watching the storm come over the ocean to blanket his world in cleansing water, he had felt strangely reflective. And found, as usual, that he was disappointed in how empty his life was. His existence had been one long story of blood and violence; the only way he could relate to anyone or anything. He missed the thrill of the hunt and felt his instincts were rusting from disuse, and his insatiable bloodthirst had gone so long without a drink that he felt half alive.

Sitting on the concrete, he held his Desert Eagle in both hands, tip resting against the floor. He couldn't turn himself off, except with a bullet, and he had already tried to walk down that road, bleeding on the sand, watching Lucy walk away from him, defeated once again. But then Mayu had come, and made him use his last bullet on some asswipe S.A.T trooper who thought he was going to gun a defenseless young girl down. He knew she came to see him to remind him that there were things still worth living for. And over the months that Mayu would visit him, he found more and more that he was holding on for her.

"_Good morning Bando." _

He'd looked up at her through strands of hair that had grown somewhat since he had first set about his task of taking on Lucy. He was now rather unkempt, albeit handsomely so, with hair that was still short, but fell easily past his eyes, a shadow of facial hair on his cheeks and neck, slightly more developed on his chin and above his lips. He looked as rugged as he lived, and found his appearance much more fitting.

"_What's good about it? Fuckin cold out and it's about to rain."_

"_I know, I brought you a blanket from home. I know you've already got one but it's starting to get colder out and I thought you could use it."_

He huffed and reached his hand out to take it. He used to be a lot more argumentative about her gestures of kindness, but over time he'd learned Mayu just didn't respond to his disdain or vitriolic comments. It was like she just somehow knew he had it in him to be something more than what he was and wouldn't let him tell her otherwise. In the end, he just gave up and accepted that she was just going to keep coming around and it was useless to keep fighting with her about it.

Besides, he was starting to enjoy her company a little.

"_You're up pretty early this morning kid. You shouldn't be pushing yourself like that."_

"_It's alright." _

She sat down next to him and leaned back against the boxes, her eyes occasionally flickering to his gun. He gripped it more tightly as he noticed her doing this, almost protectively. Everything he was, he was holding in his hand right now. Fully loaded weapon, round chambered, safety off, ready to kill. It was all he had, all he really needed. He was death incarnate, nothing could touch him, nothing could phase him, or take away what was important to him…

…important to him…

_I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to save you…was so fuckin useless._

No! Can't think of that, won't think of that. Past is over, dead. He was strong now, he was a killer, he wasn't weak, couldn't be touched by stupid things like emotion or remorse. He wouldn't think of his mother, or how she bled so that he would not, or how she screamed so he didn't have to, or…

…_fuck…_

He heard Mayu shift closer, resting her head and shoulder against him. Damn her…DAMN her for making him remember. Who did she think she was? Doing this to him? He should slap the shit out of her and reestablish the boundaries.

"_Hey boy, come in here."_

He was ten years old again, frightened and horrified by the sight of his mother bleeding on the ground from her nose and mouth, one eye luridly blackened, her dress ripped and her breasts partially exposed. Blood on his father's hands, some on the face that grinned with sadistic glee.

"_I said come in here you piece of shit."_

He obeyed, trying to be brave but fear ripped through him and he could only take tiny steps into the room.

"_Please Norio," _his mother had begged, _"don't make him watch this, just let him go outside!" _She'd turned to Bando, tears mingling with blood running down her face, "_it's ok sweetheart. Mommy's going to be ok, just go outside for a while!"_

"_Shut the fuck up you whorish bitch!" _Norio kicked her in the stomach and she let out a sickening grunt of pain. _"You earned this trying to leave me, who the fuck do you think you are huh?"_

"_You're a FUCKING pig Norio!" _Norio reached down and grabbed her by the hair, lifting her onto her feet, the top of her dress falling to her waist, exposing her completely. Her feet slipped on her own blood as she tried to stand.

"_And you're a cheating whore, don't act like you're better than me bitch!" _He slapped her and blood spattered the wall, Bando flinched and wet himself, "_you better be worried about that piece of shit you fucked behind my back, because when I'm through with you, I'm going to blow his goddamn brains out. If you're lucky, it'll just be him, and not you." _His mother cried tears of anguish and rage, then spit on his face.

"_You don't deserve loyalty! I was trying to get away from you! I'll kill you if you hurt him you bastard. LET US GO!" _She turned to Bando, _"everything's going to be alright darling! You'll see…"_

He'd laughed, then turned to Bando, _"boy, I think it's time you learned how to deal with conniving bitches. You want to be a man don't you?"_

"_Oh god, Norio please don't! Do whatever you want to me, just leave him out of it, oh my god oh my god!"_

Norio drew a pistol from his belt and held it under his mother's chin, pulling the hammer back…the sound of the click would haunt his dreams forever. He then motioned on the dining room table where a pipe wrench sat.

"_You don't want your mom to die do you boy?"_

"…_n…no."_

"_Well, then all you have to do is teach her a lesson. If she can be taught, she can be redeemed. But if she can't, well then there's no use keeping her around is there?" _He shoved the gun harder beneath her chin, and she took a shuddering, terrified breath. _"So take that wrench and break your mother's knees. Show her you can be a man."_

He was terrified, and he wanted to stop it, but he was just so scared. He had the weapon in his hands, he could do as his father asked, or he could attack his father and maybe be killed, or maybe the two of them could actually overpower him and win…and finally be free of the constant horror and abuse. But he was so scared, he didn't know what to do. He stood frozen, tears streaming down his face…

"_Mom? I'm scared."_

"_It's ok baby…it's not your fault. It's not your fault. Just remember that, none of this is your fault. I love you so much."_ Bando stepped forward and hefted the pipe wrench, his eyes focused on his mother's knees.

"_I won't blame you, I love you Bando. No matter what, it's not your fault. It's going to be ok, I don't blame you, you aren't doing anything wrong."_

He reached back, preparing for a powerful swing, _"I love you mom," _and swung with all his might, crushing his father's kneecap with a sickening snap.

"_Aaaahhhh! YOU MOTHERFUCKING USELESS FUCK! I'LL KILL YOU BOTH!" _He swung the gun towards Bando but his mother shoved Norio on the ground, grabbing the pipe wrench from Bando. He heard a crashing sound at the door, the sound of his mother screaming with rage, and saw his father standing up on one leg, supporting himself with one arm on the kitchen counter, and fired three shots at his mother, throwing her to the floor and splashing blood everywhere, all over Bando.

"_MOOOOMMMMM!" _Another crashing sound at the door, it was Ryota, his mother's lover and family friend who worked with Norio in the special forces unit they both served in. He was a kind man and Bando had thought of him as more of a father than Norio. He had been hoping his mother would take all of them away from Norio. Looking down at his dying mother, he knew those dreams were gone forever.

"_Norio you son of a bitch! What have you done!"_

"_She called you huh? And here I thought she'd called the police. Not like they'd have done shit. We own this town."_

Ryota's fists clenched and rage filled his eyes, _"but I can. You're fucking dead."_ Norio raised the gun and fired but Ryota had been expecting it and dodged the shot, closing the distance in an instant and with a deft maneuver, disarmed Norio, then began to beat him mercilessly. Norio tried to fight back but Ryota was his better by far and Norio was wounded besides. Before long, his father was a bloody mess lying on the floor, choking on his own blood. Ryota retrieved the gun from the floor and pressed it against Norio's head.

"_This is vengeance for Rika. Wait for me in hell, because you and I, aren't finished yet." _Ryota pulled the trigger, spraying blood, brain, and skull fragments across the floor. Norio's leg kicked out once, then he was still. Bando had felt something snap inside of him now that the violence was finally over, he didn't know what part of him was broken, and wondered if he'd ever find out what it was. He noticed his mother still breathing, reaching out to Ryota.

"_R…y…ota…"_

He ran to her side and gathered up her bloody body, holding it against his own, tears in his eyes.

"_I'm so sorry Rika, I should have been faster. If I'd just been a little faster, you'd be ok. It's all my fault, I waited too long…" _he began sobbing into her shoulder, as she reached her arms around his neck.

"…_ok…it's…ok…got to…see you…one last time…love you…forever." _Bando had slowly approached them, sobbing as well. Rika reached out to him and pulled him close.

"_Going…to be…ok…Bando…remember…I love you…Ryota please look…after…take care of…"_

"_Don't talk Rika, it's going to be ok. I already called for help on the way here, they're going to get you back to the Institute. Better doctors there than the local hospitals. You're going to be ok."_

She reached up and caressed his cheek and pulled his face down to kiss him with bruised and bloody lips.

"_You're…my hero…Ryota…I… don't regret…a single…moment…do it over again…a thousand times…not your fault…don't blame yourself."_

Bando had watched the scene with a curious numbness. Somewhere deep inside, he knew he was screaming in pain, agony, and loss. But that part of him was shut off somehow and he could just stare blankly at his dying mother, and simply observed Ryota's overwhelming anguish in the same way that a person watches cars go by while waiting for a bus. He couldn't even make himself say goodbye and just looked into his mother's eyes as she turned towards Bando, smiling as long as she could until he saw the moment her heart stopped beating, and knew viscerally that her eyes were no longer seeing anything. The next few weeks had been a blur. The Institute showing up and receiving Ryota's report, disposing of his father's body and covering up the incident. Ryota had been put on suspension for a while as the investigation went on, and during that time he had taken Bando in, neither being able to offer the other any sort of comfort as they grieved together. But at least Ryota had been able to see his vengeance done, Bando had only watched, and had been unable to save his mother from death. If he had only been stronger. From that day on, he had resolved to make a weapon of himself, so he would never have to watch another person he cared about die. But in his endeavors to achieve this end, he neglected that which was broken within himself. He was numb to emotion, and devoid of empathy. He now had the strength, but he was without reason to use it. The only purpose of that strength was for the killing he was made to do as a member of S.A.T. And so this became his singular focus. He was a killing machine, and that was as far as it went with him. Feeling Mayu's warmth next to him, he knew however that everything was changing.

And he wasn't sure he liked what she was doing to him. But he couldn't let her go now, there was no going back.

"_How long were you on the run kid?"_ He turned to her slightly, but didn't actually look at her. _"Living like this, a runaway, no home. How long did you keep this up huh?"_

"_Three years," _she said, no regret or residual sadness in her voice. The sound of a numb heart remembering pain, but simply cataloguing it in a mental journal of atrocities she'd lived.

"_Not easy being on your own that young,"_ he said, retrieving a cigarette, trying his lighter three times before it sparked a small flame, glowing faintly in the dark. He took a long drag and exhaled slowly, enjoying the subtle rush of the chemicals going straight to his head. He rested the arm with the glowing cigarette on one of his knees, flicking ash onto the concrete, _"you don't think you can be on your own when you've got a roof over your head, and people taking care of your physical needs, but it's true, you can. After a while you just get sick of pretending that shit is fine and normal, and that you've got support just because someone's letting you sleep there."_

"…_I know."_

"_They've got beds in prisons, food, and a roof. I don't think anyone but the most brain fucked institutionalized sap would ever call that home. Lot of people take that shit for granted." _

He took another drag and looked over at Mayu, exhaling smoke accidentally as he turned his head.

"_Shit, sorry."_

She smiled, _"it's ok." _She was smiling a gentle, happy smile, like she had just won some sort of quiet victory. He'd seen it on her face the night they'd gone to her shelter and he had called her Mayu. Why the hell was she smiling like that now…damn kids.

No…Mayu was different. It wasn't just that she was young.

"_You don't take it for granted Mayu, people like us…we don't."_

"_Like us?"_ She turned towards him more, resting a leg against him. She was always doing things like that, not _quite_ provocative, but not innocent either. And he really shouldn't be allowing her to do these things, but he had not been doing very well in setting, or maintaining boundaries from the start. Why bother starting now? He just couldn't figure her out.

"_I grew up on the streets, I ran away too. I know about being on your own young like that," _he said, his unguarded response having been automatic from being distracted by Mayu's furtive gesture of physical affection…that…sneaky little…she KNEW that would distract him. He shifted away from her slightly until only their shoulders touched and huffed, taking another drag on his cigarette. So maybe she was learning to be cunning a bit faster than he'd expected, a side effect likely from having to deal with his constant evasiveness, but refined first from surviving on the streets for three years. But still, he wasn't about to talk about how he couldn't stay with Ryota anymore whose grief had poisoned his spirit. Bando felt that he was merely watching a dead man going through the motions. Bando had been lonely, and was tired of pretending that he had someone simply because he was physically in sight. Bando was alone, and had decided that he might as well stop living a lie. He'd spent the next eight years backpacking across Japan, a transient drifter, learning to be hard, to live rough, until the day he'd come back to his hometown, to his mother's grave, and had been found almost immediately by Ryota.

"_Been a long time kid," _Ryota had said to him, age had hardened his features and his hair was graying at the temples. It had grown long and reached as far down as his lower back, tied into a ponytail. He had a number of scars on his forearms and face. He held himself like a warrior, watching him with eyes that looked like they'd seen nothing but conflict and death, and was simply weary of it all.

"_I'm not a kid, Ryota."_

He smirked, turning the corner of his lips up in what might have been a smile. It was his way, to be warm yet cynical. He remembered his mother always picked at Ryota about that, she used to say he was just afraid to admit he could be honestly pleased with anything and that he would make a great critic, since they never seemed to be able to like anything without there being a "but" somewhere. He always told her he was pleased with her, and when he'd say it there would be no air of playfulness. He had always said it with a seriousness that made her blush and not quite able to meet his eyes. Bando always thought he was the way he was because his love and his respect were so intense that so few things in the world could withstand it or hold onto it without faltering from the weight of such powerful emotions. So he held back, but he never held back with Rika. She had been strong, and worthy of the full depth of his love. And as his love was everlasting, so was his grief. He could still see the shadow of pain deep in his eyes, because Bando knew where to look for it.

"_No," _he'd said, _"I suppose you're not. What did you learn out in the world that you couldn't learn with me?"_

"_How to rely on myself."_

"_I never held your hand Bando."_

"_You didn't do anything, what was there to stick around for?"_

"_Well, you've got me there. I know very well I failed your mother these past eight years you've been gone."_

"_I don't want to hear it. You wanted to do something about it, you would have. You didn't."_

"_I want to change that, if you'll let me. I don't have much to offer you except maybe a direction."_ Bando dropped his weathered bag and leaned against a gravestone.

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_The Institute has come a long way since you've been gone, and their private military unit must expand with them. We need good soldiers…I've always known where to find you Bando, and I've kept up with your 'exploits'. You'd make a fine warrior."_

"_If you knew were I've been all these years why didn't you come for me?"_

"_Because I wasn't going to hold your hand. You were on a personal quest, I knew that. I had faith that you could handle yourself. But in all that time, you never came back here. You have now, so I think you're ready to stop wandering."_

"_Who are you to tell me that huh? Who the fuck are you? I'll walk my own path."_

"_I'm not picking your path, I'm offering you purpose. You're trying to become strong but you don't know why. Maybe you'll find a reason in S.A.T…with me. What have you got to lose?"_

It was his way, to hold back, to never give everything away. He wasn't selflessly offering Bando a direction, he wanted to make up for lost time. He hadn't contacted Bando because he just didn't know how, or what to say, and was hoping with Bando near, that he would find the words. It was the best way he knew to show Bando he still loved his surrogate son, but he could never say it. It wasn't his way. Not like it had been with his mother. Knowing that it wasn't pity that was driving Ryota to do this made it easier to accept. And so he had, putting himself under the authority of Commander Ryota of the Kamakura Institute's S.A.T chapter. He had learned to refine his skills, and become a true living weapon. His desire to fight the Diclonius had been a way to test how effective a weapon he was, against another living weapon. Losing to Lucy had made him feel weak and powerless, the way he had felt when he watched his mother die. Fighting Lucy felt like fighting back against his father, against impossible odds, where this time, he would refuse to show fear. But now, his purpose was gone, directionless once again, and found himself right back where he started. On his own, destitute, living rough and alone…but not alone anymore.

He dropped his cigarette, it having burnt out in his hand, and edged close to Mayu again after he felt her shiver from the cold. She could have been faking it to see if he'd get closer to her, but he didn't care this time.

"_Living alone…it's tough on you, but at least it's only tough on your body. There's worse things, but you know that I guess."_

"_It's hard on your heart too," _Mayu said softly, _"I was always so lonely."_

"_You can't let people twist you up to need them so much kid. They let you down in the end. All you've got in this world for sure is yourself."_

He remembered being told about the orders to bring him in dead. Ryota would be overseeing the completion of that task. He didn't want to admit how painful the idea of Ryota trying to kill him was.

"_Then what is anyone living for Bando? People can't go through life alone, they just can't. I can't."_

"_Is that why you're still showing up here? You've got a family, you don't need me. And I don't need your pity."_

"_Damn it Bando I'm not here because I pity you! Don't you know that!"_

"_Don't swear kid, bad language doesn't suit you." _

It was her way, he knew, to convince him that she wasn't just some innocent kid. He had wondered why it was so important to her and had originally chalked it up to her wanting to play at adulthood, but he realized now it was that she wanted him to take her seriously, not necessarily that she cared if he viewed her as adult or not. She just didn't want him to write her off, it hurt her when he did that more than when he would scream at her and fling vitriolic insults at her. Not that he did those things anymore, but the threat she had posed to his quiet simple world where memories didn't exist had caused him to act out and rail against what she was doing. Making him care about another person, making him remember what it felt like…

…giving him something to lose. And damn her for doing this to him, couldn't she see she was just going to cause him pain when she was gone? He couldn't do it again, couldn't watch someone he loved…

…hold up, love? Unbelievable.

"_I have to go Bando, I'm going to be late meeting Nana." _

Just as well, he'd felt familiar fear creeping up within him and it was starting to make him angry at her. Bando stood up first and offered his hand to her and felt strangely disappointed that she was leaving. It had been liberating talking to her. It was much different than simply keeping the thoughts and feelings inside. It was like a release, an exercising of demons, and a rediscovery of himself.

"_Mayu, wait."_

She stopped and turned completely around, not half way like people tend to do when they're set on leaving and are simply offering you a second to finish your final thought.

"_Yes Bando?"_

What had he wanted to say? There was something building in him, words that needed to be said and sometimes he knew exactly what they were when Mayu was there with him, but now…

"_Take care of yourself out there," _was all he could get out. They weren't the words, but it was the best he could do until he could find them. She seemed to know and smiled at him. She took a few steps towards him and made to hug him goodbye, but he held his hand out and stopped her.

"_I can't…"_ it was no use pretending she didn't affect him. She did, but he couldn't let her all the way in yet. He didn't dare.

"_I understand," _the way she said the words…he knew she really meant them. It meant as much to him, as his understanding had meant to her. He knew she didn't pity him, anymore than he pitied her for the abuse she herself had suffered. All he had felt was a bottomless rage as she told him…everything. If he ever saw that man in public he would die begging and screaming. Bando reached out and brushed hair out of her face, scratching her head companionably.

"_I'll come back and see you again Bando." _

She'd turned and walked out into the rain and he watched her until she was out of sight. Damn her for making him care about her. She was part of the reason he had gone investigating the strange radio messages because if there was some kind of threat on its way to Kamakura, or perhaps a threat already present, Bando was at least going to get Mayu the hell out of there while he dealt with things himself. But deep down, he knew the real reason he was gravitating once again around the exploits of the Institute. It had been a final radio message, a familiar voice emanating from the cold static of the weathered radio. The one that had answered the transmission from earlier.

"_This is Commander Ryota, all preparations are complete and I will officially be assuming command of Operation: Red Sky, should it require implementation. The Kamakura Institute is prepared to receive Director Vanith."_

Ryota…

He knew Ryota was hunting him, but he wanted to face him again…HAD to face him again. He couldn't die before that. And he wanted to know if Kamakura was in any danger of being exposed to Red Sky. He had heard a little about it, and while he didn't know the details, he knew it was a "slash and burn" protocol for if and when the Diclonius threat got out of control. Any measure created to exterminate an out of control populous of Diclonius would not be without a massive amount of collateral damage. Bando had something to protect this time, and he would face Ryota if he, or Red Sky, ever became a threat to Mayu's life. Ryota had once been a good man, but war and grief had changed him, he had seen it over his years in S.A.T. If the day ever came when it was either him, or Mayu, Bando knew he wouldn't hesitate. He wasn't a child anymore and he was not weak. He would pull the trigger.

He would kill the only real father he had ever known.

Taking another drag on his second cigarette of the day, he absently played around with the radio's frequencies until…what was that…

"Can…hear me? Can anyone hear me!"

What the hell? That voice sounded vaguely familiar, like some scientist chick that had been working for Kakuzawa's son. He'd met her a few times and thought she'd be pretty hot if she didn't always smell like gym socks. Didn't that chick have any sense of personal hygiene at all? But she was dead he'd heard. Killed by Lucy when she'd been recognized by her at the college she worked at with Kakuzawa. So this couldn't be her…

"My name is Arakawa, if anyone is listening to this, I am a prisoner at the Kamakura Medical Research and Development Institute. There is illegal biological weapons research going on at this facility and the ramifications of their research spell grave threats to humanity itself. I need to escape. I am the only one who can stop what is happening…please…help me…they're…trying to use me to…"

It cut out there and went silent. A pirate broadcast? From inside the Institute? What the hell was going on? Too much was happening around there lately, something big was going down. His hand trailed absently to the gun at his hip and he had a bad feeling that very soon, he was going to need a lot of damn ammo.

But truth be told…

_I'm ready…_


	5. Master and Slave

"Has it been five years already Angel?"

Erich stood a safe distance from Angel's transportation module, a remote operated platform that she was securely restrained to, the vector canceller attached to her head. Only her eyes, blood red and chillingly cold, could be seen from within. Some would consider the level of security used to transport her somewhat excessive, but Erich knew it was probably not enough, he knew her better than anyone. Knew her enough to know he should rightly fear her, even now. Turbulence from the large aircraft they were using to travel to the Kamakura Institute jostled them around and he saw the flicker in her eyes of painful discomfort from straps digging into her skin.

"Five years," she said softly, barely heard over the aircraft's din, "three months, fourteen days, four hours."

So much she kept track of. He was equal parts disturbed, and pleased with this. Her level of intelligence had exceeded even his most optimistic expectations. Diclonius were all possessed of a higher level IQ than most normal human beings but Angel was different even from the others. Erich wasn't the sort to let any skills go to waste, so he had nourished her appetite for knowledge. Next to her capsule were the various books that Erich allowed her to read, sitting in a trunk beside her. He made sure when he looked over whatever fiction he gave her, that none of it possessed any sort of underlying message of individuality or personal empowerment. He didn't need her developing that for herself, it had to come from him only. She was hard enough to deal with as it was.

"You forgot my birthday…Erich."

"I don't know your birthday Angel. You don't know it either, you've told me as much."

"No…the day you gave me the second thing that ever belonged to me. My name. Your memory leaves a lot to be desired…baby."

"I didn't forget, I brought you a gift," he said, holding up a book for her to see, "even though I really shouldn't let you have something like this."

"I like de Sade. You should read him sometime, and not just skim to the 'good parts'." He could almost see her mocking grin from the shape her eyes suddenly turned. Amused. He _had_ been somewhat hesitant to allow her to read the Marquis de Sade, but in the end he decided it would contribute to her training, to learn to be comfortable with the glorified cruelty written in the pages. She had been a most excellent student there and had very quickly turned into the killer he had known she would be the moment he first laid eyes on her. Even in that, she had been different. The other girls were efficient in the use of their vectors to kill, and never got their hands dirty. Angel had taken an entirely different approach than any he had ever seen of a Diclonius. She used her vectors to enhance her body's movements. Her bones being made of steel made this a trivial effort and her lightening speed and superhuman reflexes came as a result. When Angel killed, it was with her bare hands, beating, tearing, shredding, and laughing like a woman possessed by a devil. Her only escape attempt, or at least he had thought it was an escape attempt, had been the first time he really had seen what she was capable of, and his institute's soldiers had not been prepared. He remembered the scene vividly.

"_Number 5," _the controller had barked, _"retrieve the canceller from the table, attach it, and lie down flat with your arms to your sides!"_

She had done the unthinkable and caught a sphere at 350 joules, then launched it back with such force it had shattered the sphere launcher. Now soldiers were in the room with her, pointing guns loaded with armor piercing rounds to get through her vectors if she decided to fight.

"_Where is Erich?" _she had said, a calm in her voice that Erich recognized. It was something he had heard before from some of his other girls when they KNEW they had the advantage, and were about to use it to bloody effect. He leapt to his feet immediately to get in that room. He knew they were all in trouble.

"_This is your final warning number 5. Attach the vector canceller to your head and lie down! Now! Failure to comply will result in your execution!"_

Her fists clenched, her teeth gritted, long red-pink hair fell around her face like curtains that hid madness behind them. Erich had burst into the room to see a look in her eyes he had not seen before. Something wild and desperate, though he was not sure why it was in her eyes now, and had no idea what possibly could have triggered it.

"_My name…" _she growled, guns cocked around her, soldiers took aim…

"…_IS ANGEL!"_

Fast as a bullet, she took off running with horrifying speed. She was on the first one before anyone even had a chance to fire and punched through his throat, tearing his head off, kicking the man next to him so hard it threw him to the wall where his skull cracked. She yanked a grenade off the falling body of the first man she killed, using a vector to hold the pin while she flung it towards a cluster of soldiers on the other side of the room. A few shots rang out now but they were busy trying to get away from the grenade which exploded, rending bodies to shreds and would have done the same to Erich if there had not been such a solid wall of humanity between him and the explosion. He wisely took cover after this.

A third man close to Angel pulled out a pistol and fired five shots at her, Angel dodging each one before reaching out and snapping his wrist. She then started punching him in the face over and over again with one arm, turning his facial features into smashed pulp while retrieving a dead soldier's assault rifle with one of her vectors. The survivors had gotten more organized and began to fire upon her but she vaulted into the air with a powerful jump and rained bullets down upon them, killing two before the guns steadied on her position. She had suddenly flown out to the side of the wall, her vectors carrying her, dodging another hail of gunfire then vaulted from the wall with her legs towards the four remaining soldiers, landing in their midst.

They had just enough time to be surprised by her sudden close proximity to them that they could do little to stop her lightening fast physical attacks, preformed with expert skill. She leapt into the air to hook a leg around one's neck, twisting to snap it then vaulting off the floor with a vector and hammer punching a hole in another's head, fluidly ducking around the swing of another's knife to wind up behind her attacker, and with a grunt, ripped his knife arm off. The last one had drawn a pistol and raised it but her hand shot up faster than he could pull the trigger and pushed the gun barrel into the face of the soldier she had dismembered, blowing his brains out. She then pushed the last soldier against the wall with her foot, holding him there, yanked the gun out of his hand, and shot him in the face until the weapon ran out of ammo. Erich had watched the entire scene, feeling fear for the first time ever. No Diclonius had ever been able to take out an entire assault team that were aware of their abilities. The idea of it was just unthinkable, but there she was, standing alone amongst the dead. The entire violent episode had not lasted more than two minutes. Erich should have run, but it was too late now, she was coming for him. This was the end, his first mistake ever in his long years at the Institute was going to be his last one. She walked up to him, grabbed his shirt in both fists and shoved him against the wall, he saw stars floating in his eyes as his head smacked it.

"_Do you know what today is Erich?"_ Petrified, he was unable to answer.

"_It's my birthday."_ He didn't understand, she had never told him when she was born. This didn't make any sense. And he told her as much.

"_Perhaps it's because you look like you're about to fucking shit yourself that you can't remember. I was hoping you'd say something, but you didn't." _he thought fast.

"_It's only the middle of the day Angel, and you were busy with testing. You didn't think perhaps I was planning something for you? You could have at least waited until this evening."_

She pulled him to her, and slammed him back against the wall, rage making her facial features wild.

"_You're a liar." _

"_Alright, Angel I'm sorry ok? How can I make it up to you?" _

Dimly he knew he shouldn't be giving her the power in the conversation…but he did just watch her massacre a highly trained assault team without breaking a sweat, so he felt perhaps some of the rules just weren't going to apply right now. Angel seemed lost in thought as she held him against the wall, one of the fists that were clenched on his suit had actually grabbed flesh with it and her strength was painful.

"_You know…I'm not sure you can. I think you want to be rid of me. You're never getting rid of me Erich. You chose me."_

He saw the look in her eyes again, intense anger, but something else too. He couldn't quite figure it out but he was much too concerned about what was about to happen to him than figuring out what drove her moods.

"_You're right. I can't be rid of you Angel. Even when I sleep I dream of you," _it was an emotional tactic, hoping to appeal to her singular connection to him. What he said was true enough, he had dreamt of her, but those dreams were filled with horror of what she would do if she ever escaped. In those dreams, the blood had been like oceans.

"_How does it work Erich? When you leave me here and go home at night? Do you take me with you or does none of this exist when you're gone?"_

"_I…"_

"_I swear to you Erich, you had better take me with you, or I'll fucking tear you apart and make you scream my name until you NEVER forget." _

It was in these small moments that he admitted to himself, just a little, that he was in over his head. The doors flew open after that and another assault team entered the room, setting their guns on Angel.

"_Director! Take cover!"_

"_NO!"_

He couldn't afford to lose her, she was the best killer he had ever created. She was perfect, exactly what he had been looking for. She wouldn't let them waste that simply because she splattered a few expendable S.A.T troops all over the walls. He wrenched free of her grip and stood between her and the soldiers.

"_The situation's under control." _

The squad leader's eyes briefly flicked to the carnage in the room, but he did not offer a rebuttal of his statement. After a few moments, when Erich thought he was going to be asked again to move and take cover, he saw guns start to lower. Confused he turned around and saw Angel standing there, with the vector canceller attached to her. She must have used a vector to retrieve it from the table.

"_Don't forget again Erich," _came the chilling voice though the metal mask. He had visited her later that night in her cell, where she was strapped down and had brought her the first book. She had said nothing when he presented it to her; a book of past civilizations, so she could expand her mind on how the world came to be. He had remembered her occasional passing interest in books and hoped this would suffice, not knowing exactly what it was she liked to read.

She had given him a piercing look when he'd presented it, so intense that it froze him on the spot but he didn't know exactly what it meant. He'd stayed with her for a while, turning pages for her as he held it up for her to read and found himself getting lost with fascination, seeing how her entire being was poured into reading the pages, as if he did not exist. It had been the first time he really looked at and noticed how strikingly beautiful she was, her reddish pink hair something of the exotic and fell straight down, having no volume, but shined and looked like silk. It kept falling into her eyes and after the third time she shook her head to move her hair, Erich had actually reached up and brushed it out of her face, hooking it behind her ear. She had stared at him a long time after that, the red eyes were more moving than disturbing now that she seemed calm and focused on something other than violence. He had the impression of soothing a savage beast. Before he'd known it, it had been nearly three hours and she was finished with almost half the book. His first yawn told him that it was probably time to start leaving.

"_Erich," _she said suddenly, quietly, after three hours of quiet, her only indication of having wanted pages turned was a slight nod of her head.

"_What is it Angel?"_

She seemed to be struggling with something, she wouldn't look at him, but stared off into space, not seeing anything. She opened her mouth numerous times as if to speak, but no words came out.

"_Would you come back tomorrow? Let me read?" _

Yes! He had finally found a real way to establish a connection with her, and this would prove most useful in the future. It had been the only time she ever asked him for anything. A strange feeling had come over him suddenly as he thought of that fact, but he shrugged it off.

"_Of course I will."_

"_I meant what I said earlier Erich. You can walk out of that door but you better not leave me behind when you do. You're mine until you die."_

"_That's my line Angel, you'd do well not to forget that."_

She stared into him with cold eyes that burned all the way through him to his core.

"_Remember today. How it could have gone, but didn't." _

He stared at her, silence stretching between them, her eyes reflecting the promises of pain and suffering.

"_See you tomorrow…Erich."_

And so he had kept his word. Bringing her the book and giving her others as she inquired about famous and infamous figures in human history. She craved knowledge, but spoke little to anyone but Erich, so no one knew if she retained any of it or if it changed her thinking in any way. The only thing anyone knew about her was that she was dangerous, and psychotic. He had actually written up her psych profile, and that had been the word he used: psychotic. She had proven her intelligence in small ways with clever banter here, or a philosophical question there. But they were always tainted with some level of sarcasm, or mockery. As if the more she learned about the world, the more of a joke it appeared to her when viewed through her prism of reality. And if he could be honest, he didn't blame her. In fact, he empathized.

"So…what are we going to do for our vacation Erich?" She asked, the familiar mocking tone he had come to expect from her every utterance was rich in her voice.

"I told you before Angel, this isn't a social visit. The board has summoned all of it's members to the Kamakura Institute. Apparently there has been some trouble."

_You must really have fucked up big Kakuzawa. Heads are going to roll for sure. _

He'd heard some of the details from his own Institute in Europe. There had been a Diclonius that escaped the facility and killed a lot of security guards on her way out. They had then lost her in Kamakura and there had been numerous attempts to relocate her, from deploying S.A.T, to setting another Diclonius upon her. Both measures ended in failure, resulting in a dead soldier with another defecting, their top agent no less, and a wasted test subject as it had been severely injured trying to recapture the rouge Diclonius to the point where she had to be euthanized. The last one they sent out had the dubious honor of killing Chief Kurama in a suicide bombing, as he understood it. The final insult being the complete obliteration of heavy S.A.T reinforcements by the rouge Diclonius, though official reports stated that she was destroyed during combat, a victim of her own collateral damage. Fitting he supposed, but very unsatisfying and quite frankly a serious embarrassment. The substantial loss of men and resources putting a dollar amount on the severity of Kakuzawa's monumental failure to keep his own house in order. Erich had been stressed for the entire plane ride. Kakuzawa was going down, that much was for sure, but he wondered if he would take Erich down with him. He looked up at Angel, who was staring straight ahead blankly. He supposed if it came down to it…he could work out his own solution to the problem. Director Kakuzawa was now a liability, and Erich despised loose ends.

"Director Vanith, please prepare for landing, we will be starting our descent in five minutes," a scratchy, piercing voice called from the intercom.

"Five minutes," Angel spoke from inside the mask, "that's long enough isn't it?"

"For what?"

"Always wanted to fuck in an airplane. That's a 'thing' with people isn't it? Something people want to be able to say they've done before they died?"

This was the other thing that bothered him, she came onto him to a degree that was severely uncomfortable. Though he supposed her continuing to do it was his own fault as the first time she had done so in an attempt to shock and appall him, he was caught so off balance that his anger was unguarded. She had also been only fifteen, which was even more disturbing. In five years, he had never been able to discover what caused her to act the way she often did, whether it was due to treatment she received in the Institute before he met her, or if it was something from further back. She would never give him a straight answer when he would try to broach that subject and would simply run mental rings around him until he had to physically remove himself from her presence, lest he lose his cool. However, that had been a battle of wills he lost and since she knew it bothered him, she kept at it. Her language had only gotten filthier as she got older, and especially since she started reading de Sade. Why had he acquiesced to that? Something about her just made sense fly right out of his mind from time to time, ever since that first day he laid eyes on her.

"Enough Angel."

"You know you want to Erich. And you wouldn't be saying 'enough' if you gave me that five minutes. You really should stop pretending you're above it. You're just a man after all. A well dressed, pompous, clean cut slave to your cock."

"ENOUGH Angel!" He held up a small remote device, one she remembered from their first meeting, only this time…

"Do it! Press it baby!" She began to laugh, her movements shaking her containment platform, "can't fuck me yourself so you've got that toy to stimulate me? And you call yourself a man," her laughter increased.

"I said shut up!" DAMN her, how did she bring this out in him? His rage at her broke and he stood up, preparing to jam his thumb onto the button but suddenly a strong vibration from the plane starting its landing sequence made him lose his balance and he fell to the floor, dropping the device. He looked around frantically as he gripped his chair to keep from being further jostled around, but he could not find it. He rose to his knees but another bout of turbulence made him remain still, clutching the seat to keep his balance.

"Never thought I'd see you on your knees Erich…it suits you."

"Fuck you Angel."

"Had your chance baby. Maybe next time."

He was out of control, he knew it. He had to get a grip on himself. He picked himself up and sat back in his seat, strapping himself in, then took a few deep breaths. He couldn't explain why her sexual advances angered him so much. He thought perhaps it was the uniqueness of the situation as none of his other girls had ever done anything of the sort with him, and while he could hardly avoid noticing their bodies, he had never felt a desire to mate with them. To him, they were tools at best and not human enough to sleep with in the same way a person wouldn't feel sexual desire for a power drill, at least most normal people anyway. At worst, he saw them as walking vectors of disease, spreading a sickness that claimed human lives.

Somehow…just somehow…Angel was breaking down his mental barriers. She was violently tearing away at them like she tore away at everything else and he was starting to crack after five years of constant mental warfare. But even still, he couldn't turn away from his work with Angel. He had been right that first day, she had received his full attention, reassigning his girls to other scientists simply because he didn't have time for them anymore, it took all of his focus to deal with Angel. He'd heard that two of them had committed suicide, but that was hardly his concern. The girls did tend to overreact when separated from the person they had imprinted upon, but he felt the losses were more than justified. Angel was the one, his perfect weapon, even though dealing with her was extremely difficult at times. He was so close, it was almost time, he knew. He would see to this business with Kakuzawa and get back to his Institute.

"Erich?"

_Did_ she want him? He turned the thought over in his mind. He had always imagined it was her way of taunting him, testing his resolve. But he could never tell when she was serious or not, and he knew she expected him to show her some degree of exclusivity in most things. Perhaps she wanted to extend that exclusivity to sex as another way of claiming him, or being claimed, whichever drove her. If it were just one more device to link her to him, perhaps it would not be so bad to acquiesce to this as well…

…what…in the hell was he thinking?

"What is it Angel?" he replied, the calm and control back in his voice.

"It's right next to your feet."

He looked down…well…there it was. The electric shock remote. He bent down and retrieved it, staring at it as he remembered how angry he had been, and how easily she had been able to provoke him. What was happening to him?

"Punish me Erich…"

What?

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Finish what you started, don't lose your nerve now. We've got time until we land. Press it, and don't let go until I scream."

What…in the hell? She was playing games again, he wasn't going to play with her.

"I'm not going to do that Angel, just relax, we're almost there."

He couldn't see her eyes well from the chair, and the dark of the mask obscured them further still, but he could feel the calculating gaze. Could sense it assessing, probing. Or was she…

"Don't look at me," she said, her voice a slashing whisper. He obeyed, and he wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was shame that he had been so close to losing control, or shame that he was hurting her? No, it's not like she registered as human in his mind so that wouldn't make any sense. He was obeying because it was prudent to make some concessions like respect every once in a while to strengthen the ties. And it was not because he thought he saw tears in her eyes, he couldn't even see them in the dark of her mask, so he was probably just imagining them. Besides, she was a monster, and monsters didn't have tears, or weaknesses. She was a cold Angel of Death.

He found a strange sort of pride in that.

He felt the aircraft touch the ground, jarring him from his thoughts. He had to prepare himself to face the board, and work out whatever damage control he could. And if things could not be controlled…he glanced at Angel, her gaze frozen and nearly lifeless. He knew he had been imagining it, projecting sympathetic emotions on a creature that didn't have any. It just proved that his exposure to Angel was making him weak as it seemed he was trying as hard as he could to pretend she was human. She was his insurance policy, for he was too close to bringing his ambitions to fruition to be stopped now by ignorance and incompetence. He would unleash her upon those fools, and begin the construction of his new world on their corpses.

But hopefully it would not come to that. The cargo doors of the aircraft opened and he stood up to leave. The staff would see to Angel's storage while he dealt with the board.

"Erich?"

He ignored her and walked off the plane. He'd had all he could take of her for one day.

"_You're mine until you die."_

With a sinking feeling, he knew she was right.


	6. Setting Sun

"There you are Kouta."

The voice distracted him from his concentration, pencil poised just above the drawing paper. He had been looking out at the afternoon sky from the school's roof. The rain clouds persisted but broke apart in ways that caused sunlight to pierce them in some areas, and reflect from others until the scene was a glorious panorama of light, pattern, and shadow. It must have been a sight that once caused people to refer to the skies as the "heavens". Yuka took a place next to him and sat down, flashing him a warm smile.

"Hey Yuka."

He smiled back at her, then turned his gaze back to the sky. "It's beautiful isn't it? I'm hoping it stays like this until sunset, the light will look even better spread across the clouds. I came out here to try to capture this, but I think I'll wait until later to see if the clouds and the sun do what I want them to."

It would be a difficult task, he knew, because sunset was fleeting, casting a unique beauty throughout the skies for all in the world to see, and before you knew it, it would be gone, faded into darkness.

"Do you mind if I just sit out here with you?" She asked him. She seemed genuinely afraid that he would tell her to go. He would never do that to Yuka, and he wished she'd remember that he hadn't stopped caring about her just because he was in love with Lucy.

"No, I don't mind. Sorry if I don't talk much, I'm trying to keep the image of the afternoon sky in my head. I've been studying it since I got out here."

He wanted to grasp it while he could, something beautiful that wasn't meant to last forever. Kouta appreciated more than most how important it was to seize the things that stirred your heart. Because if you didn't, they'd vanish and leave you cold in the dark and there was no telling if you'd ever come across such unique beauty ever again. Lucy would understand that, she understood it from the beginning, when they were both children. Kouta had been more understanding and appreciative of humanities differences, being so inclined towards art, and knew it was important to find beauty in all things, but he had lived easier than Kaede and did not feel so inclined to recognize the importance of human connection and love, because he had a family that loved him and he took those things for granted. Kaede had known how important it was. For her there was nothing that mattered more. She was the one who first made him see it, made him feel it.

"_Hey Kouta…" _her eyes had been shy, scared, hopeful.

"_What is it?"_

"_That cousin you're taking to the festival tomorrow, did you say it was a boy? Or was it a girl?"_

That had been the moment it clicked in his mind, and in his heart. He'd played back the day's events in his mind, her warm smiles, the way she held his hand just a little more tightly than he held hers, the feel of her forehead resting against his shoulder, and the kiss she had planted there. He had felt monumentally stupid for not seeing what was obvious. But his late realization had left him with no time to think, just a visceral knowledge that he'd hurt her feelings if he told her it was a girl.

"_m…my cousin's a boy." _

He shouldn't have said that, he knew he shouldn't have lied to her. But he could sense somehow that there was a sadness deep within her and that she needed to feel like she was the most important thing to someone. He was just a child, and did not yet have the words or the ways to have shown her that she was the most important thing to him. She had been all he could think about from the moment he had met her, musing aloud about the strange girl he had met while around Yuka and Kanae. Even then, there had been a seriousness to her, an intensity of emotions that was so pure and strong. It made her beautiful to him in ways he just could not describe or articulate to himself in his own mind. She was a person who appreciated beauty, just as he did. A person who loved the art and the music that he held dear, and that others ridiculed him about. When Yuka had heard Lilium she had not heard something beautiful. To her she had merely heard something sad, and insisted that he should choose something happier. But she had just made him feel alone and embarrassed of his peculiar choice of what he considered beautiful. In that moment he had known what separated them as people. She had no interest in discovering beauty. She just wanted it to be obvious and generic enough to easily recognize and would never be able to walk the same roads that Kouta did. They would always be in disharmony. But Kaede…she had loved Lilium, and he felt the connection to her instantly at knowing another person who seemed to see things the same way he did. It should have been her that he'd gone to the festival with. She was certainly the one he had really wanted to take, but he had made that promise to Yuka shortly after he'd arrived, before he ever met Kaede. And he wasn't a person who broke promises.

But then again, he hadn't been a liar before today either.

"…_come see you off at the station alright?"_

"_What?" _

He had completely missed what she was saying except for that last part, being lost in thought like he was. He had just decided that if he was going to break one of his moral rules about lying or breaking promises, then he was going to do it for this girl. He wanted to spend his last night with her far more than he wanted to spend it with Yuka. Not that he didn't like Yuka, he did, very much so in fact, but she was not…

…wait, what was her name?

"_Bye!"_ She'd called out, already running away.

"_Hey!" _he called after her, trying to get her attention, wanting to ask her name, wanting to tell her the truth and that he'd changed his mind and he would go with her. But it was too late, she was already gone…

…gone…

…like Kanae…

…dad…

"Kouta!"

Yuka's worried cry shocked him out of his reminiscence, he had stabbed his pencil into his half finished drawing, scratching a jagged line through the scene, appearing so sharp to his eyes that he wondered if the line on the paper would actually cut his finger if he touched it. Yuka took his arm in both of hers and squeezed, trying to comfort him.

"Are you ok? You scared me…you got this look in your eyes and…you…ruined your drawing."

He was trying to let it go, and he did not regret forgiving Lucy. Every day they spent together he knew she felt the pain of guilt along with the absolute unconditional love she showed him. Her emotional intensity had only gotten stronger now that she was older. Lucy truly was the other half of his soul made spirit and flesh, but he just couldn't forget, no matter how hard he tried, though he supposed forgetting had been the problem in the first place. That had not solved his problems in the past, just created new ones. Such as his feelings redeveloping for Yuka, but then being utterly eclipsed by his love for Lucy when his memory returned. It hadn't been fair to Yuka, he knew that. He had held her, told her he liked her, kissed her. Kouta had not been a passive participant in those things, but he could not help how he felt now, and he wanted to explain it all to Yuka, but there was just no way he could ever do that. Not without telling her what Lucy had done to her uncle and her other cousin. Kouta had his reasons to forgive Lucy, and for him, they were enough. He saw things differently than Yuka, looking beyond the obvious. As was his way.

"y…yeah. I'm ok Yuka."

But she would never see Lucy as anything else but a murderer; one who had made Kouta lose a year of his life to madness, and the intervening years as an amnesiac, forgetting every memory and emotion associated with that night. Yuka would have no reason to forgive, and would hate Lucy until her last breath. It would destroy their friendship, it would splinter their home. Kouta couldn't let that happen, so he bore the burden of this knowledge silently, but feeling a pit of dread in his stomach as he remembered the damage caused by another lie…so many years ago.

"This has been happening a lot lately Kouta. There's something wrong, I know there is."

She kept holding onto his arm, he let her.

"Talk to me Kouta. I can't stand seeing you like this and not knowing what's going on with you."

"I'm fine Yuka, really. I just…"

"You're not fine, and I'm getting tired of hearing you say that. You're not, I know it, and you know it. So stop treating me like I'm stupid."

She let go of his arm and stood up abruptly, taking a few slow steps away from him. He stood up as well but didn't try to walk towards her. She was silent for a few heartbeats.

"You'd tell her wouldn't you? I bet she already knows."

"_NO MORE! STOP IT! STOP IT NOW!"_

"You could say that."

She spun around angrily, "she's not the only one who loves you Kouta! I love you! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"You know it means a lot to me Yuka."

"Then why?" she wailed, "can't you see how much it hurts me that I can't help you or reach you?"

He knew Yuka was trying not to let herself show how much his being with Lucy was hurting her, but she had never been the type to hold her feelings inside. Even when she did try, it was always obvious what she was feeling. He had known from the very beginning that she loved him, and he loved her too, he really did. But that love was platonic, friendly. It was not enough for Yuka who wanted more than that but Kouta just could not give that to her. He was Lucy's from the moment they met, despite everything that came between them.

Yuka had turned away from him again and wiped her eyes, trying to get control of herself again.

"I'm sorry Kouta, I shouldn't be like this. Why is it that I only seem to make things harder for you all the time?"

"Yuka, that isn't…"

"It is true…"

"It's _not_ true Yuka and I won't hear about it. I don't know how I or any of us could get by without you."

"I don't think you need me Kouta…you just don't want me to be sad. That's who you are, you don't want anyone to feel hurt but you can't do anything about this. Things are the way they are, and my being near you is just torturing us both."

He didn't really have a reply to that which he'd consider worthwhile. He knew what she was getting at with this. She was trying to talk herself out of staying, finally beginning to reach the end of her emotional tolerance for watching him and Lucy together. He didn't want Yuka to leave, he cared about her a great deal but he knew he couldn't ask her to stay. It seemed like every decision he made or step he took in life, he wound up hurting someone else. It made him feel frustrated, and as helpless as he knew Yuka must feel about not knowing how to reach him.

"I think maybe I need to spend some time away from Maple House," she said, which he had expected her to say. He wanted to protest, rattle off a convincing counterargument, make a show of emotional outpouring that would reach Yuka somewhere deep down and make her change her mind. She was even waiting for it, watching him to see if he would try to stop her. She wanted to be stopped, he knew that. The will was there in him, screaming to get out, but he was silent. There was nothing he could say that would not be deftly invalidated by Yuka. There was always a distance between them, and it was only now that Yuka was finally beginning to see it. The silence was the chasm between them and they both knew stepping forward would only destroy them. They could only step away.

"I wish you wouldn't," was all he could say. He didn't bother trying to argue, it wouldn't matter.

"I wish I could be her."

"No you don't Yuka…don't ever say that."

She looked at him, confused, but didn't ask him to explain. She stepped back towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. He could feel her crying silent tears but she did not utter a word or make a sound. After a few moments she stepped back, her hands still resting on his shoulders, and she stared at him with tear blurry eyes, almost as though she were trying to take a mental photograph to remember him by. It made a small ember of panic flare up in him at the thought of having to face her leaving.

Before he could say anything more however, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see Lucy standing there silently watching them with hands in her coat pockets. She looked exotically majestic to him set against the overcast afternoon sky, wind gently blowing red hair that had grown back to its original length, and gently tossing about the knee length dark coat she wore over her school uniform, buttoned at the top so only the lower half of the coat waved in the breeze like a flag. She had taken off the sash that she typically tied about her head to hide the horns. Its removal was deliberate, so that he would see her as what she was. Yuka removed her hands from his shoulder, and Lucy's eyes absently followed those hands until they were back at her sides.

"Hey Kouta," said Lucy, seemingly ignoring the scene she had just walked in on, "I thought maybe we could talk now that school is out."

"Um," Kouta nervously looked towards Yuka, who stepped away from him. "Don't worry," Yuka said, "I'm out of your hair." She began to walk towards the door to go back downstairs and slowed for a moment to stare at Lucy. Yuka opened her mouth as if though to speak, then changed her mind and kept walking until she was out of sight and the door shut. Lucy walked slowly towards Kouta and gave him a reassuring smile, taking one hand out of her pocket as she got close and reached it behind him, caressing his back and gripping his shoulder, pressing herself against him and resting her head against his other shoulder.

"Lucy…"

"It's ok Kouta, I understand, don't say anything."

She kissed his shoulder and she sighed in contentment as he pulled her closer to him. He had been nervous at first that he would have to start talking immediately, that urgency would not allow him to settle his mind, but she remained silent for a while, simply enjoying the closeness. Everything seemed thrown into sharp relief as he held her, the sounds of the breeze carrying musical notes as it passed among distant trees and around buildings, muted sounds of thunder where it was still raining elsewhere in Kamakura offsetting the gentle sound, and even the cold felt delicious when set against the warmth of Lucy's body against his own. She pulled back somewhat, removing her other hand from her pocket, and cupped Kouta's face.

"You're not leaving, are you?" he said suddenly, not knowing that was something he had been worried about. He supposed having to face Yuka's desire to leave had made him think that perhaps Lucy had made a similar decision. That he didn't think he could take, he needed Lucy.

"Of course not," she said quickly, her hand gripping his shoulder a little more tightly, "never."

"I'm glad you're here. I've been driving myself crazy thinking about what you said this morning."

"I know, that's why I decided not to wait. I could see it in your face all day when I'd look at you in class."

He smiled, "so you were paying as little attention to the material as I was huh?"

"Oh I was paying attention," she said with a grin, "I can actually do two things at once you see. Acquired skill."

She turned to lean her back against his chest and took his hands in hers, wrapping them around her belly, and leaned her head against him.

"Kouta…some of this isn't going to be easy for me to talk about…and maybe not easy for you to hear."

_Don't worry Lucy, I'll be strong for you. _

"Don't hold back Lucy, I'm not going anywhere."

"I hope so Kouta…"

A few more minutes of silence passed between them, there was no rush or sense of urgency. Whenever he'd feel her body tense up from nervousness or stress he'd caress her arms and kiss her neck through her hair, simply showing her affection, reassuring her that he wasn't just waiting for a conversation to commence and rather just enjoyed being with her. It helped her to relax and he could feel it when she did, her hands squeezing his own in a silent 'thank you'.

"I ran after I did what I did to you…I ran and ran and ran. I didn't know where I was going and I don't think I cared if I died."

A spike of horror and pain lanced through him, but he ruthlessly suppressed it, knowing the courage it must have taken for Lucy to even begin her conversation there.

"In that time, I befriended another person. A girl named Aiko. She reminded me of myself, living in a home where there was nothing but abuse and fear. I felt like all I had to offer this girl was the same thing I offered anyone else who crossed my path: pain. But it was different with her, because she was already living it, I saw a kindred spirit."

She paused for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts.

"She died. It was my fault, or I guess I should say if it were not for me, she would still be alive. I killed a lot of people Kouta. It was all I knew to do anymore. It was an instinct that had no check, and I had no reason to stop. It got the attention of these people, who already knew about creatures…"

"People, I won't let you call yourself a monster."

"…people…like me. I don't think I ever told you what they called it. To them, the name they gave those like me, was "Diclonius"."

She reached a hand up and touched one of her horns, "these are their physical traits, how you know one by sight. They said it was a result of the way our brains are developed…it's how we're able to control our hands. I don't know exactly what makes it work, only that it does. I can control them with the ease of instinct."

A strong breeze came up and he felt her shiver. He held her more tightly and she reached a hand up to grasp his arm.

"They were after me but I didn't know I was being hunted. I was trying to help my friend see her mother again. They shot her trying to get to me, and they used her to get me to cooperate with them. I had already let you down so badly and done so much wrong to you, I didn't want to be the cause of another person's destruction that I cared about. So I agreed. They took me to their labs, wrapped me in chains, put me in a cell, locked the door and turned out the lights. That was my world for the next four years. They did…things to me. Tortured me in experiments that I never knew the reasons for. But I didn't have a reason to fight back. They told me Aiko died on the operating table. Just one more person that cared about me whose life was destroyed just by being around me. I believed the things they said about me…that I was a cancer upon human life. How could I argue the logic? Look what I had done to Aiko. And you…"

He felt her shaking in his arms, and it wasn't from the cold. It was a chill from so deep within there was no fire strong enough to banish it. He knew that cold, it had swept through his soul as well, and he knew once a person was touched by it, there was no going back.

"I had lost Aiko to death, but I knew you were still alive. In all those years, for every second I spent locked away, it was the memory of you that kept me alive. When I had my chance to escape, I took it. And I would not have done so if it were not for you. But then I met the others of my kind. I met Nana, I faced Mariko. It was one thing hearing the suggestions that there were others like me, but to see the evidence with my own eyes…"

She turned to look at Kouta and he saw the ghost of the child he once knew. A lonely soul who made a terrible mistake and fought through hell and madness for a second chance to make things right. He knew what she was going to say before she said it.

"I can't get it out of my mind. I know we weren't the only ones they picked up. What if they were like me? Just children who didn't understand what they were and didn't know what they were doing? What if they could have had the chance to know what it meant to be loved and not hated and abused as children? What if they were like me, and would give everything, even their own lives, for just one more chance to right a wrong?"

"You want to go back, don't you?"

She didn't reply, just regarded him with sad eyes. What she was talking about was dangerous, but she was powerful and could take care of herself, and if he were in her position could he do any less? He had taken her in, and the other girls, because they had been like him; lost, afraid and alone. His power wasn't anything great, but he could at least provide a haven for them, and it had made all the difference in the world. It had completely changed the lives of all three of them; Nana, Mayu…Lucy. He didn't want to risk losing her, and it made him want to tell her to stay. He knew that if he did, that she would stay simply because he asked her to, even if it hurt her to do it. Because of that, he knew he would never do it. This was something she had to do.

"What can I do Lucy? I want to help you somehow but I don't know what I could possibly do."

The smile that lit her face spoke volumes. It was the comfort and happiness of a person having their faith rewarded.

"Just be there for me when I come back. Because I WILL come back Kouta, I promise. Nothing and no one is going to stop me from keeping that promise."

"What if you do find others Lucy? What happens then?"

"I honestly don't know Kouta. But I can't leave them there…I…I'm not…"

He raised his hand gently and pressed his thumb on her lips, silencing her, as he trailed his fingers down her cheek and neck.

"We'll figure something out if that happens. Just do what you have to do Lucy."

She smiled and stepped back into his arms, circling her own around his waist.

"When are you leaving?" he asked her.

"Tonight."

He felt uneasy about that, like it was too soon. He considered coming up with arguments explaining why she couldn't go so soon. She had to prepare, come up with a plan, something…but he knew that if this had been in her mind for a while that she had probably already gone over the particulars many times over. The only one who wasn't ready for her to go, was himself.

"Kouta…"

"Yeah?"

"You don't…regret us…do you?"

He took her shoulders and gently moved her away from him so he could look at her face. "Absolutely not Lucy, why would you say that?"

"I don't know…I just…" she stared at his feet, "you're still scared of me sometimes. I see it when you wake up in the mornings, or in the middle of the night. I know you meant everything you said to me about moving on and that you love me. That means so much more to me than I could ever be able to express, but sometimes, I feel like I'm hurting you by being here and…"

"Lucy stop right there! I've already had to hear that nonsense once today, I think hearing it a second time is going to make me pull my hair out."

"Kouta…"

"Listen to me Lucy, when we started this, it was because you wanted me to make my own decision on our fate. I made that decision and I made it with a clear mind, knowing about the difficulties to come. Yes, I admit it, sometimes when I look at you when I wake from sleep, I do feel afraid. You can't expect me to forget our pasts, and that's going to come with some consequences. But I'm still here, and I still want you to stay with me. If you have any respect for me, you'll believe that. I don't ever want to hear that you've decided to leave because you "didn't want to hurt me". If I want to kick a stone wall with bare feet, I'll do it, and if I want to have a woman by my side that I love more than anything in this world, and that I feel completes me as person, I think I should have the right to make that decision for myself. The only way I could accept your leaving, is if you didn't love me."

"I do love you Kouta! Never think that I don't, I'm yours forever."

She placed her hands on his shoulders and pulled him close to kiss him, her eyes sliding shut as their lips met and her fingers flexing on his shoulder. They both became lost in the kiss for a few moments, as they often did. Kouta was always overwhelmed with the intensity of her emotion every time their lips met, for he could feel it in the way she would kiss him, taking as much as she could of him while seeming to give back even more. She pulled away finally and smiled shyly.

"I'm sorry I said that, I don't know why it came over me to…"

"Yuka's not going to come between us," he said, knowing that was what truly drove the question. He knew her other fears were valid, but they would not have been something she'd have brought up if she didn't first think he was considering how his life would be different were he with Yuka. She opened her mouth as if to argue, but he knew what she would say, that Yuka had more of a right to him, and he didn't want to hear it, so he simply shook his head, and she ate whatever words she was about to say.

"I'm sorry…I'm just so jealous of her, I wish I could have been her…maybe then I…"

"No you don't Lucy. I wish you hadn't lived your life with so much pain, but the person you are is who I love. That person doesn't exist in Yuka."

The same questions asked, the same things said by both women. For Lucy he had answers, for Yuka…he had nothing. He truly wished he could have found the words for Yuka that he found for Lucy, but he knew he never could have done that. Yuka wanted him to be in love with her, and that would have been the only way those words could have been found. He didn't want to lose Yuka either, what could he do?

"Can we go home?" Lucy asked, "it's starting to get a little dark out. I'd prefer to leave from there than like this, on a rooftop."

He took her hand and beckoned her to follow him. She took a few jogging steps and clutched his arm with her other hand as she walked with him, but she suddenly froze as she reached the door.

"Lucy, what is it?"

She stared out in the direction of the sea, and seemed lost in a trance, intensely concentrating on…something.

"Lucy?"

"Huh?" She snapped out of her trance and looked surprised to find herself where she was before her mind cleared.

"Sorry, I just…felt…" She looked out at the sea again.

"…pain. Endless pain, and…anger." The wind whispered in the silence and Kouta felt fear for Lucy. He knew she could sense others like her, and that she was likely sensing one now, but her voice did not sound sympathetic for what she felt and the painful way she gripped his hand scared him.

"I'm ok," she said, and loosened her grip, "let's go home." As they walked, he couldn't help stealing glances at her and the pit of dread in his stomach flared up as he saw her preparing for something. He knew the look because it had been in his own eyes often. It was the look of a person preparing to face something terrible. It was the look of walking knowingly into hell. The door clicked shut as the amber light of the setting sun began to spill across the clouds, announcing the coming darkness.


	7. Pandora's Box

**Author's Note:** Well, the fall season is starting to gain momentum, and my chapters are getting longer, so this will mean more time between updates. But of course, as usual, it won't keep me from working on it whenever I am able. Hope everyone is having a pleasant school year thus far ^_^.

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><p>She nearly wept with relief at the sight of her menstrual blood.<p>

Arakawa leaned against the bathroom wall of her "estate" and threw the bloody rag in the toilet, feeling sure she was the only woman on earth who looked forward to her periods, and she welcomed the pain. The air conditioning unit groaned to life and the steady sound of recycled air blowing through the vents began to fill the silence in the room. She wished it would stay on all the time as she hated the dead silence that would fall like mortuary drapes around the room when it went off. That silence was like hearing death, if it were a sound that were audible. She certainly felt like she was living in a tomb. She slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, the cold sending a shock through her bare upper thighs and buttocks, and closed her eyes. She knew she should get back to work, for there was so much of it to do, and it was so very important to do it. Not just the research that ensured her continued survival, but also the research and projects that Kakuzawa did not know about, such as the makeshift radio she would use to send out her distress call every so often.

It was an extremely risky move, but she long ago stopped caring whether she lived or died. She only cared to the extent that she had a responsibility to the dead to stop the Diclonius, and Kakuzawa. She was a brilliant mind, of that she had no self doubt, and her ability to understand the biology of the Diclonius had been invaluable to finding out how she could destroy them. It had been part of her work with Professor Kakuzawa, for if they were not able to find a cure then the next best thing was going to be a viral weapon that would target the Diclonius' specific biology. Their closest efforts yielded a pathogen that worked one-hundred percent of the time on Diclonius cells, but since their biology was so closely related to humans, it also would affect one out of every ten humans, which was an estimated figure she'd written up after numerous experiments with human cells. She had remembered feeling disgust when Kakuzawa had suggested that she use human beings for those tests. At the time, she had merely thought it was some kind of sick joke, but she had no idea what he was really doing with the Diclonius girls, and that he was probably completely serious. As a weapon, they had been tasked with designing the pathogen as a doomsday scenario countermeasure where there was a large unchecked population of Dicloinus that would be impossible to combat by conventional means.

The weapon would work in two phases, the first being an airborne detonation of the pathogen. While it was very easily communicable and had a remarkable ability to travel long distances once airborne, it suffered from a few fatal flaws. One of those being that unless there was a reactive agent, the pathogen would remain benign, doing no harm to anything, and eventually going through apoptosis after forty-eight hours. The other problem was while it could spread easily, it could also be contained easily with the simplest of physical barriers. A fine mesh net could stop it. The first part of the detonation would be more of a preparation, loosing the pathogen above the clouds and allowing the water within them to act as a vehicle for the pathogen to spread and replicate, which was a process that would take about twenty-four of the forty-eight hours to completely cover a ten mile radius above wherever the agent was released. The second phase, would be a surface to air strike that would cause a vaporizing reaction upon detonation, superheating the clouds as the virus was ignited by the reactive agent in the missile. It would chain to the entire affected radius and ignite the virus which would then fall to the ground as toxic ash, breaking apart in any wind to eventually become like dust which would then be inhaled. Because of the red tint the clouds would take upon its introduction, and the ashen rain and burning miasma after viral detonation, it had been nicknamed by the Institute: Red Sky. It was a terrible weapon, to be used under the most dire of circumstances, and she had been one of it's architects. Now that weapon was complete, and at the disposal of Kakuzawa who was just completely insane at this point. Where he once had a purpose and clear direction, or at least he had seemed to in the beginning, he was now bordering on megalomania, believing himself to be the herald of his lost race. His measures towards achieving that end had just been more and more outlandish, and he seemed to be in a mood bordering on hysteria now that it was all threatening to crash down on him.

That was why she was risking her broadcasts more now than ever before. She had escaped death once by agreeing to cooperate with Kakuzawa, but he would have no reason to keep her alive if he was about to face the board's judgment. He might even see her as a liability and finish what he started that day when he shot her. Knowing what she knew about his other plans, she knew he would never let her leave alive. What she was working on currently was not any sort of cure. The board would have what they wanted with the weapon. What Kakuzawa really wanted was to find a way to convert the molecular structure of the invisible appendages that the Dicloinus mind could control, into a biological agent, which was a task that fell to her. As the vectors had been seen to spread upon physical contact, and therefore mingling, with the DNA of humans, it debunked the theory that they were true telekinetic beings. The vectors were physical in nature, though their molecular structure could be broken down at will into microscopic particles, allowing them to pass though seemingly solid matter. While there were some elements that made this impossible, for instance the very high density metals of tungsten and platinum, most any other element or solid surface could eventually be penetrated without destroying the material, like the hand of a ghost passing through a wall. However as the Institute had learned, what the vectors could not pass through easily, they tore through violently. Given enough time, the average Silpilet could pass a vector through solid steel, but any test subject with cause to do this would likely be trying to escape, and wouldn't have the time it would take to do that as security forces would surely bear down on them by then. They could certainly destroy it however, which would still require effort, but not as much. It was the random escape attempts by Dicloinus test subjects which had unwittingly created that experiment that no one had previously thought to test. While the large enclousers that held them were still made of steel, their personal enclosures were made of tungsten, which seemed to be able to withstand any attempts with vectors to even dent it, let alone tear it apart, and was more cost effective than using platinum. This was why certain S.A.T agents were equipped with tungsten munitions, as they could pass through Diclonius vectors, though their trajectory could still be affected somewhat as they did.

From a biological standpoint, the vectors were not mental projections, but merely extra arms. They could not typically be seen by humans as the molecules they were made of existed in the ultraviolet spectrum, but _could_ be seen by other Diclonius due to their unique brain chemistry. Some humans had been known to be capable of seeing them for the same reasons Red Sky would work on one of every ten humans: the biology was similar, and there was bound to be some human subjects that would be more similar to the Diclonius than others, just by the law of averages. Arakawa had found all of this fascinating, but Kakuzawa cared for only one part of that research, which was that the arms had a physical makeup and that the molecules present within them would start mutating human cells immediately upon penetrating the epidermis, which if he made it into an airborne virus, would be as easy as merely breathing it in.

The air conditioning clicked off, distracting her. She had been at it again, escaping into her own mind and concentrating on the science of her work so she didn't have to think. She wouldn't have to think about how alone she was. How she would never have a chance for a normal life which she had always wanted but was always too busy and withdrawn to reach for. Or how everyone that knew about her had been told, and they believed, that she was dead. She wouldn't have to feel the terrible guilt that mocked her whenever she remembered that her hands built a weapon of mass destruction, and would probably do worse the longer she selfishly remained alive, or how Kakuzawa had shown her what his "plans" for her had really meant as he raped her on a regular weekly schedule, finding time to do so twice a week. She could set her watch to her own rape, she had thought with grim amusement.

_Careful what you wish for, _she'd thought bitterly. She hadn't wanted to die a virgin, well…she certainly wasn't that anymore, and since Kakuzawa didn't like the idea of having sex with an unwashed body, he had moved her into a cell with a bathroom where she could wash herself at any time of her choosing. So now she could finally have those showers she'd often lamented over not having. He was one of them; he had shown her the horns, and he meant to make her breeding stock, thinking that perhaps conception, instead of vector transfer, was the real key to breeding queens. Perhaps not in his generation, but in the ones following. He truly thought he was seeding the rise of the Diclonius as a dominant species. She didn't know how true his theory was; whether he was just that desperate and insane or if it was just an excuse to have a woman he could screw when he had time, she really wasn't sure. What she was goddamn sure of however, was that he wasn't going to get a child out of her if she had anything to say about it. She had been given enough resources that allowed her to come up with a sort of "inoculate" which worked similar to the Red Sky virus, but more safely diluted, and had started taking it in secret. The idea was that it would target the Dicloinus DNA present in his semen, and either kill them, or cause septic abortion from the virus' presence in her blood, and of course, her womb.

She knew the risks. The virus could outright kill her during one of her self medications, and then there was always the possibility that if she took it long enough, her womb would not be able to support any life at all and she would only carry death inside her. Maybe it was already too late. A tear slipped down her face at the thought. She wished it were just rape, that much she could handle, but his mission to impregnate her, and the potential consequences of her methods to prevent that, had snapped something inside her. She didn't just want to escape to stop a potential loss of countless lives. She wanted her hands free to kill Kakuzawa, and wipe the Dicloinus off the face of the earth. They were the cause of so much suffering, their very existence corrupting, violating, and destroying everything they touched. They were a blight upon the defenseless, and a tempting, uncontrollable weapon for those with power. She absolutely hated them, hated Kakuzawa…

"You son of a bitch…" she whispered aloud to herself, crying silently and drawing her knees up. She was crying with as much anger as relief at knowing that since her period had come again, it meant that the inoculation was working, or maybe she was just lucky. Either way, it was like her body was reassuring her that all was not lost yet. She stood up and walked numbly to her "living" area, which was not much larger than her old cell had been, and sat in front of the computer she had been given. Kakuzawa had not completely underestimated her and that computer wasn't connected to anything that could have given her a line to the outside world, but he had stupidly given her enough that she could improvise. The device was crude and she wasn't completely sure it was sending signals far enough to be heard by anyone listening, but it was all she had, and using it made her feel like she had at least some sort of plan, and not just a warm body to be used while she waited to die or go insane. She took it from the desk and stared at it as the silence surrounded her…suffocated her. She clicked it on, knowing that there wasn't anyone listening, feeling hope slip away from her.

"My name is Arakawa," she started, not really knowing what she wanted to say, "and I loved my job. I guess not many people can say that, that they really loved their job, but I did. Loved it so much I didn't think I cared about anything else. I had a bad habit of that, shutting everything out. I always hated how that made it so easy for people to startle me. It kept me focused though, so I didn't have to think about all the things I was missing in life by keeping to myself."

Tears began to slide down her cheek as the words kept coming out.

"But now all I have is time, and I don't care about my work. All I can do is think about how much time I've wasted and that I won't have any left to try and change things. I have this whole life I never really lived, and what did I trade that for? This?"

She wiped her eyes and sobbed once before continuing.

"I've never held hands with another man, never even had a first kiss, or anyone I even liked, or that liked me…I don't know, maybe someone did like me and I was just so oblivious that I didn't see it. You know what I got instead? Rape. That's what I got to have instead of love or affection. I didn't even think about any of this until…god…until recently. Months, not even a full year. My whole life, and if I wrote an autobiography it would look like a job resume. Twenty-five years and I could sum my whole life up on a single sheet of paper. Two maybe if I double spaced."

She looked down at the simple device, it's single, faint blue light signifying that it was on and receiving audio. She thought of the light as the eye of a person who cared what she had to say, the microphone being their listening ear. It was all she had.

"I'm so alone in here, and whenever I think too much, I get scared. All that stuff I was saying before about needing to escape for some mission…it's shit. I'm so full of shit. The only reason I want to do that mission is because it means vengeance, but I want to get out of here because I'm scared and alone and I just want a second chance …I'd…settle just for someone to talk to. I don't want to die here. I don't want to die for absolutely nothing at all."

She took a moment to catch her breath. In all the times she had been afraid, when she was shot, when she knew she was a prisoner, and when she was being raped, she had somehow managed to keep it all away from her spirit, focusing instead on the logical dilemmas she faced, and how she could use her skills to solve them. But she was at a point where her problems could not be solved by researching, analysis, or theorizing.

"I never really lived. Ever in my life. All I ever did was make myself into a tool that others use without seeing me. If there is anyone listening…don't do what I've done, you'll regret it so much when your time runs out. I know I do…"

She had run out of tears, and numb desolation took their place.

"I know there's no one out there that could help me, even if they heard this. The security here is too tight, the police won't touch them, so I don't blame you for not coming. There's nothing you can do. Just don't forget me. There's not much to tell about who I am, but please just pass it on sometime that there was once a girl who lived in the world named Arakawa, who wanted to be a great success someday like everyone else. And she was. In fact…she was such a success…that it killed her. Tell them they mustn't forget to live."

She stared at the device after taking her finger off of the transmit button, willing someone, anyone, to talk back, but as always, no one ever did. She looked at the clock on her computer, 7:45 P.M. It would be getting dark outside by now, if it wasn't already. She'd never know for sure, as she was never let anywhere near a window. This also of course meant dinner, which was her only luxury as she was allowed to have her choice of food. She preferred somen noodles in hot soup, a dish she never got tired of, for as with most things she tended to stick with what worked for her. As if on cue, she heard the door mechanism click with the muted beeping sounds of buttons being pressed on the locking device outside her cell. It would be the same; two people, a guard with a gun, and a guard with a tray. They'd tell her to step against the wall and she'd try to ignore how scared she was of having a gun pointed at her as the man with the food would set it on her computer desk. They'd try not to look at her and she'd notice guilt whenever one of them accidentally did. The man with the tray had tripped once and bumped into her during one visit, and had grasped her shoulder for support without realizing it. She had instinctively reached out to steady him, placing her own hand on his shoulder and grabbing his other arm.

"_Sorry…" _he'd said, forced to look at her.

"_It's alright…"_

She hadn't interacted with anyone other than Kakuzawa for a long time, and that fleeting moment with her prison guard had been precious. She had actually ignored the other guard's movement as he'd stepped forward and held the gun barrel inches from her face, thinking that Arakawa had been trying to overpower her guard. She held her gaze with this stranger, who had been bringing her meals for months, and she had not really looked at him, just as it was obvious he never really looked at her. To her he was just a guard; a cog in the terrible machine of the Institute, but in his eyes she saw the same thing she would see in her own eyes in the mirror: a prisoner. He may not have been a prisoner in the same way that she was, but she knew that not all cages were made of steel and physical locks. That sometimes, a person's choices were limited and they had to do the best they could to survive, and that sometimes, it meant doing things that conflicted with a person's values or moral code. That had been when she felt true despair, because she understood the need to survive, and that it would always override a person's values when they were put to the test. Guilt and morality would not motivate these men to help her. Life and death were more important to them than right or wrong, and this was the way most of humanity worked. She was lost. They would feel regret and remorse…all the way up to the moment where they would pull the trigger on her anyway, and as they dug her grave and threw her in.

The door hissed as it slid open reveling two men, her guards of course. One in light and the other more in shadow, but where was his gun? The first man stepped in and was bathed in the cold flickering light of her computer monitor.

"K…Kakuzawa?"

He stepped in, a serious expression on his face as he look over her still partially exposed body as she was only wearing a long white collared button up shirt, her bare legs mostly exposed. He raked his eyes over them and drew a slow breath, she wanted to spit in his face.

"You…you can't. It's my time of the month. You can't!"

"I'm aware of that Arakawa, I think I know your monthly cycles as well as you do at this point," he said with a lecherous grin."

She wanted to scream at him, but it would do no good. Besides, she was scared, and at this point she only wanted mercy. How could she judge her guards? They probably just wanted the same thing.

"I'm actually sorry to have to bring you this news Arakawa…"

A pit of awful dread settled in her stomach. She knew what he was going to tell her. She had been waiting for this every day she woke in the mornings.

"But I'm in a terrible situation here. I can't afford to have the board find out about you, and they will be here soon. You have been a tremendous help to me, and I regret that this is how you'll be thanked for your services."

That did it, it wasn't that she was angry that he was saying he was going to kill her. It was that she had done so much to help him and now he was throwing her away like trash.

"You goddamn son of a bitch! I'LL KILL YOU!"

She launched herself at him but he grabbed her wrists and overpowered her easily, throwing her down on the bed and forcing his body between her legs, holding her down as she tried to throw him off and she started to cry as she realized the futility of it, and simply gave up. He didn't do anything more than that, it was simply a reminder that he had power over her, and he could exert it anytime he wanted. He then backed up a few steps and hauled her to her feet, turning her around and placing zip tie hand restraints around her wrists.

"You're just going to kill me? Can't you just let me go? I'll leave Kamakura! I'll leave Japan! You'll never hear from me again!"

"You know I can't take that risk. Also I'm sure you'd forget that vehement conviction the moment you were out of eyesight of this place."

"Please!" she sobbed.

"I'm sorry Arakawa. But this is the way it has to be."

He motioned to the second man, still slightly in shadow, but who held himself differently. Her regular guard had a stiff posture that seemed to say 'I am the authority here and you will take me seriously'. This man had that same sense of authority in his stance but it didn't look forced, rather unintentional. Like a man who was so used to being in authority that his manner simply exuded it naturally.

"Commander Ryota, if you would please escort Arakawa to the shoreline. Arrange a detail of men to perform the execution."

"That won't be necessary," came his quiet reply, his voice carrying the notes of the summer breeze with the chill of late autumn air, "I will perform the execution personally."

"As you like. As much as I'd like to stay and at least give you the courtesy of witnessing your exit from this world Arakawa, I have other matters to attend to before the board arrives. For what it's worth, I wish it didn't have to be this way. I rather enjoyed having you around," he winked at her. This time she did spit at him, her hate filled eyes bored into him. He slowly wiped the spit off of his face, then smiled again.

"Goodbye Miss Arakawa. I'll give Director Vanith your regards."

"Tell him I said 'fuck you'".

He chuckled, then turned and walked out of the room, Ryota stepping forward into the light as he passed. He was an older man, probably in his late fifties, but he looked healthy and strong, his arms the clearest evidence of muscle gained not through exercise but by hard and practical use. His eyes were a stormy gray that matched his long and mostly gray hair, streaked with some black, which he held tied loosely behind him. She had never thought a man could be beautiful, and especially not an older man, but Ryota was most certainly that; beautiful. Ryota held out his hand.

"It's time to go miss."

"Please don't do this…"

"If you feel you can't walk on your own, I'll carry you."

She was confused by his manner. He had a mournful way about him, a voice that sounded heavy with regret and resignation. But something about him touched her. She was afraid of him because she knew he was going to kill her, but yet something about him made her feel sorry for him. She just couldn't figure it out.

"No…I can walk."

He gently placed his fingertips on her arm and she blushed without realizing it.

"Turn around please."

She obeyed, frustrated with herself that she did. This man was going to KILL her, what was she doing? What was she thinking? He stepped close to her and he slid his fingertips down her arm until they got to her wrist, which he held steady. The movement was not conscious; she could tell he hadn't really meant to caress her arm that way, which somehow made it even more seductive. She felt a tug, and a snap, then suddenly her hands were free. Turning around suddenly she saw the combat knife in his hand that he had withdrawn from his belt.

"No one should go to their death in chains, or in shame. It's a sin."

He motioned to a small dresser that held her clothes in it.

"Get dressed, I won't walk you out there that way. I'll wait outside for five minutes, that should be enough time for you to get dressed and collect anything you want to take with you."

"I have nothing to take."

"Only people who _are_ nothing, _have _nothing. Everyone has something that tells others who they are, in one way or another, even the destitute. Whether that thing is physical, or merely an idea. So collect your things or your thoughts, the choice is yours. Five minutes."

He left the room, and she heard it lock. She immediately set about finding something at least half decent to put on. Most of her clothes were lab coats and plain pants, but there was this one thing…she had never worn it because there was no reason to…where…ah, there it is. It was one of her very rare casual outfits that came with the clothes of hers that she'd had brought to her in the Institute, one of the rare concessions made by Kakuzawa. A long black skirt, with a simple, but handsome red, long sleeved shirt with wide arms that made the sleeves fall back to her elbows when she raised her hands. She liked the outfit because it made her feel like a person rather than a scientist. Or rather, like a woman, and not some sexless research tool. She didn't have much time left, was there anything she really cared to take with her? She had nothing here, absolutely…

"…_everyone has something that tells who they are…"_

The radio! She could hide that easily enough, it was small. Even if anyone knew about it, it wouldn't matter anyway since she was about to die. She realized that was what she wanted to take. It had been her confidant over the long months; talking through it made her feel like she wasn't alone, and if she had it with her, she could feel like she was walking with a friend. Also it picked up sound very well, and if she was going outside, perhaps she could transmit one last message a little further out into the world. So someone could hear the injustice that occurred just out of sight of the people. So that her passing could be marked by the sound of a gunshot that would hopefully be heard by someone in Kamakura. It was pointless, she knew, but it was all she had. She had concealed it just as the door opened again to revel Ryota.

"Are you ready?"

Arakawa nodded her head. Ryota held his hand out again and she walked towards him.

"You look beautiful miss."

"Please, call me…Akane," it seemed so strange to ask someone to call her by her first name. There had not been cause for someone to do that quite literally for years. There were times when she'd almost forget it herself.

"Of course, Akane."

He took her hand in his own, and she instantly felt stronger, and ready. Even though she was likely holding the hand that would grasp that gun which would kill her. They began to walk down the hallway, taking turns here and there that would lead them outside into the night air, where she would hear the waves crashing against the rocks and the birds that would be in the midst of settling down for the night. She afraid of what was coming at the end of the journey so her walking slowed. He slowed with her, and let her set the pace.

"What's your first name?" she asked him.

"Ryota."

"But…Kakuzawa called you Commander Ryota, I thought he was using your last name."

"He wasn't."

"Then…what's your last name?"

"It is a collection of letters that make up a name, that's _what _it is. I think it more appropriate to consider _where_ it is."

"Well then where is it?"

"Buried before I could claim it. I see no reason to take things that were never mine. My name is Ryota, that is all there is. That is all I have."

"That can't be true."

"I used to think so too. Life doesn't hold back when it wants to prove you wrong though. Can't afford not to see the truth of things."

"What's the truth you see in this? Killing me?"

"That we are what we are, and there's no changing that. Most truths are ugly ones that make no apologies for themselves. We either accept them, or don't, but things will remain the same either way."

"You have no idea what Kakuzawa's going to do to the world. Can you really just stand by and let him do it?"

Her growing fear of Kakuzawa's possession of her viral research gnawed at her. This man had to understand what could happen if that madman decided to unleash it in a last gasp of defiance upon an unwitting populous.

"Whatever he chooses to do to the world is whatever is fated to happen to the world. One way or another, the events will come to pass, whether by his hand or another. All we can do is accept it and prepare to whether the storm."

"You can't really believe you're that powerless."

"I'm far from powerless Akane, but I've seen too many seasons pass to believe that anything we do could halt the onset of winter, or the rebirth of summer. I'm not ignorant of what lives in the depths here. Our world will change, we just have to be ready."

They reached the outer doors and exited the facility. The air rushed at her and it felt wonderful, to finally experience fresh air after so many months cramped in laboratories, and her small cell. For the briefest of moments, she forgot that she was walking to her death and felt…free. When the despair of losing her life crept back upon her, she felt him squeeze her hand. She looked over towards him and saw his eyes searching her.

"I…" she suddenly couldn't speak.

"What is it Akane?"

There was something in his eyes, like he was looking for something…no…_seeing _something. The intensity of it made her feel small and unworthy, but she refused to look away. Whatever was in his gaze, she felt like she was drawing upon it, sometimes fighting with it, as though she felt he were expecting her to give in and look away. How could a man like this have anything to do with the Institute? She had never met anyone like him.

"You don't belong with them, these people. They don't deserve you."

She didn't know what made her say that, only that it was simple fact. He seemed so far outside what the Institute represented, and was merely held back by them. Maybe he was as much a prisoner as she was, but in a way she could never fathom. Survival did not guide this man's motives. She wished she knew what did guide them. The look in his eyes when she had spoken those words made her breath catch. He looked almost…stricken.

"I'm sorry, I didn't meant to offend you in any way if I did," she said stupidly. He was just so…_serious. _It gave his every look, word, and action the weight of purpose and meaning.

"You didn't Akane. I…just."

He seemed to take a moment to collect himself.

"You just reminded me of someone I once knew."

After a few moments, he turned and started walking away towards the beach, without bothering to see if she was following him. She supposed she could run, but where would she go? As afraid as she was, she didn't really want to die running and screaming. There was no escape, and she'd rather die this way, in beautiful scenery. Her executioner not a cold, indifferent stranger, but Ryota who was strangely comforting. She knew she had to be insane, that her crushing loneliness was making her accept this. She followed quickly to catch up to him and continued walking at his side. He looked over briefly towards her, then turned back to the approaching sea.

"Can I ask who?" she said.

He didn't answer, but merely sighed.

"They must have been someone very important to you. I could see it in your face. You're going to kill me anyway, you can at least tell me. I want to know."

"You're pushy like her too," he chuckled, "the gods certainly have a sense of humor…"

After a few more moments, they reached the water, an old pier stretching out further into the waves and the lights of distant Kamakura could be seen beyond the water. She agonized that she could see it with her eyes, but she would never step foot upon it's shores again.

"Would you like to sit here for a while?" he asked her. She seemed puzzled, and a strange light of hope began to flicker within her.

"I…I would."

Ryota walked slowly to the pier and when he reached a point where the walkway was level with his thighs, he turned and sat, and motioned Arakawa to sit beside him.

"It's a beautiful night, I've always enjoyed the rains. The clouds come thick in the sky and give us gentle light in the daytime. At night the breeze of the stormy day persists. It's like a lullaby. Lots of people don't like the rain," Ryota continued, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes as Arakawa took her place beside him, "they look at it like an inconvenience, and not the gift that it is meant to be. There's such a purity in that which is tulmutious. An honesty there I've always appriciated."

As she sat she noticed something out of the corner of her eye, and when she did, she tried very hard not to appear that she was noticing it. Ryota's gun was in the holster at his hip, and his arms were over his chest. How could he be so careless? From where her hand was, there would be no way he could stop her if she snatched the gun from the holster. She could have it out, and on him in a moment, no matter how well trained he was as a soldier.

"Her name was Rika," he said suddenly. She froze, suddenly wanting to hear more, even though she knew she was in mortal danger and should take the weapon right now.

"You're like her in some ways. Perhaps even more if we had been given the chance to better know one another. It's a sin that a person like yourself has been so chained down. I saw fire within you in that cell. I wonder what you would have been without those chains?"

"Tell me about her?" she said, "maybe you can give me some idea. I've never really lived at all in my life. This is as close to living as I've ever gotten in twenty-five years. I want to enjoy it while there's still time."

"There's never enough time, to say the things we need to say, or do the things we need to do. I've wasted so much of it myself, but I can at least offer you a little more time. I'll tell you about her, and then I want to hear about you."

"There's not much to tell…"

"I think you'll surprise yourself once you start talking."

She relaxed herself, and set aside thinking about his weapon. He seemed oblivious to her hand's proximity to his weapon and she reasoned that even if he became conscious of it at any point in their conversation, she could still easily get possession of it. So she leaned back against one of the support poles, enjoying the way the wind billowed the shirt and caressed her body beneath it, and listened to his calming voice as he began to speak amidst the sound of waves crashing upon the shore.

"Rika was a light in a dark place…and she shone so brightly…"


	8. A Ghost in the Darkness

"Has the sighting been confirmed?"

A handful of S.A.T troops sat huddled in a small building which was silently evacuated to house the temporary outpost of the retrieval unit. One of the scouts had just reported back in and was on the radio with the command post at the Kamakura Institute. The tension in the air was thick; the fear palpable. It was the knowledge of being ordered to hunt something far more powerful then one's self. It was the nervous anxiety of hunting rouge Diclonius. Ghost took a drag of his cigarette and ran a hand through his short, ice white hair to shake off the anxiety. As the new squad leader of the assault teams, he had a lot to live up to, being Bando's successor in rank. This mission was a chance to prove himself to Commander Ryota, and he was not about to mess this up. In truth, the mission he really wanted to complete was the one given as a general order: former point man Bando was to be taken down on sight by any unit who came across him, his charges having been desertion and the murder of Institute employed scientists. Some say he cracked after he failed his last mission and went insane. Guess he wasn't up to the job, but Ghost was. He was special, he knew. They told him he was one of the few humans who could see a Diclonius' vectors with the naked eye, a trait only one out of every thousand people in the world possessed. That gave him the edge Bando would never have had and Ghost knew he outdid Bando in every way. He was a better fighter, a better shot; he just couldn't see how anyone could have valued that pitiful excuse for a soldier over himself. This was his chance to show the Institute what he himself already knew; that he was the best, and deserved to be recognized as such. Ever since the debacle a few months ago, his team had been out searching Kamakura in secret with one target in mind. Lucy had been confirmed dead, but there was one last loose end that was finally going to be tied up.

"Affirmative control. Retrieval team Ghost has visual confirmation of Silpelit number seven in Kamakura."

"Ghost Squad, official Institute records has it that Silpelit number seven was euthanized by Chief Kurama. Are you positive the Diclonius sighting is number seven?"

"Affirmative sir, it matches up with the physical descriptions on the report. Vector number and length confirmed by squad leader Katsuo Rin. There's no mistaking it, there must be a false report in the database."

"Copy that, what's your status?"

Katsuo, that wasn't who he really was, not out here. He could throw it all away and slip into the persona of Ghost, who was as insubstantial as the wind and could not be touched. Not by pain, fear, or doubt. Katsuo was deathly afraid of the Diclonius, having barely survived the violence wrought by them long ago in the Outbreak, but Ghost was the hunter who struck fear in THEIR hearts. He saw the wings of the demons, opaque and deceptive, twisting unseen among lesser people. They were the invisible hand of death, but he had absolute clarity. Where one saw innocence, he remembered the blood. Where one heard laughter, he remembered the roaring fires. Where one saw harmlessness, he remembered the screams. A cacophony of violence coalescing into an amalgamation of suffering. The hammer of his gun was the gavel that he, the arbiter, brought down in final judgment. He would not be swayed by smiles, he was as indifferent to them, as the bullets that pierced their flesh.

"Ghost Squad is in position to intercept and eliminate the rouge Diclonius."

There were a few moments of silence, where Ghost let the sound of those words fill him with righteous anger. Another devil loose in the world. He knew the exorcism ritual. Ten bullets in his Desert Eagle, ten prayers of ten souls claimed by those monsters that cried out for justice. He, Ghost, would see that justice done and show them all he was the Wrath of the Institute. He would make Ryota proud, even if it killed him.

"That's a negative Ghost Squad, official orders just came down the pipe. Silpelit number seven is to be apprehended alive."

"Give me that!" Ghost growled, snatching the radio from the scout.

"Say again control, this is squad leader Ghost requesting confirmation of new orders to apprehend Silpelit number seven."

"That's a big 10-4 sergeant. Number seven is to be taken alive and returned to the Institute as per Director Kakuzawa's orders."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"Those are the orders Sergeant Rin, switch to non lethal ballistics."

This couldn't be right, they couldn't want her alive. That wasn't the mission. Despite their title of "retrieval squad" their mission was to exterminate. He didn't do retrieval jobs, unless they were talking about retrieving bodies.

"That's bullshit, it's far too risky to hold back. Diclonius are capable of destruction on a massive scale, our team shoots to kill, and that's final."

"Be advised then sergeant, as per Commander Ryota's orders, any deviation from your orders constitutes as breach of contract and is punishable by execution."

"Fuck!" he yelled, throwing the radio on the table, nearly breaking it. This was insane, why the hell did that stupid old bastard want this creature back? Bad enough they had that new nightmare sitting in a vault in the Institute's lower levels. He had wanted to blow Director Vanith's brains out just for bringing that one. When she had looked at him, not even the protective shield of Ghost had stopped the shudder of terror from shivering through him. The bitch had smiled at him, fucking SMILED at him! He couldn't wait for an excuse to be alone with her. He'd see if she could still smile without any teeth.

"Ghost Squad, do you copy?"

Ghost waved his hand at the radio.

"Tell him we do and we'll use the goddamn non lethal ballistics. Also, ask him what we do if we encounter witness during the retrieval."

The scout picked up the radio and did as commanded, and the voice on the radio replied promptly.

"Protocol says to kill them if they resist, or capture them if they don't, or can't, and bring them back to the laboratories."

"Roger that control."

"Ghost Squad, you have clearance to commence the operation, move out and recapture Silpelit number seven."

Ghost took the radio from the scout, "roger control, Ghost Squad out."

He turned to his men, "alright you femmes, you heard the man. Swap out your munitions, we move out in fifteen minutes to intercept number seven. Scout's report has her traveling with a young human girl about age fifteen or sixteen with brown hair and wearing a school uniform. If she can be separated from the target, do so and bag number seven. If she can't, fuckin bag em both. None of you pissants engage the target until I tell you, is that clear!"

"Yes sir!," they replied in unison.

Hah, Bando had not commanded this kind of respect. Just speculation, doubt and fear from his so called comrades. Every one of them would have put a bullet in that bastard's back, but Ghost? They'd guard his back to the last man.

"Then get to it! This building is vacant in twelve minutes, clock's tickin ladies, get to work!"

He popped the magazine out of his pistol and loaded it with the sonic rounds his team had been given, tailor made for incapacitating Diclonius targets. Upon physically striking a target, the bullet itself would act as a non lethal round. Although it could break bone, it was specifically designed for fighting Diclonius in that if vectors were used to stop it, the sudden stop of the bullet from a vector would cause the compounds in the bullet to react and accelerate to the speed of sound in the time space of a half second, causing a small scale sonic boom. One good shot from that would put number seven right on her ass, giving them time to clamp on the vector nullifier and haul her back to headquarters. This was going to be so freakin easy it was almost criminal. As he pulled back the slide of the gun and listened to the satisfying click, he smiled. Knowing what they'd put that girl through once she got back to the Institute…yeah. He could live with this. She was in for a fate worse than death.

Which was exactly what those monsters deserved.

* * *

><p>The evening sky was beginning to change from it's amber glow of sunset, to the deep blue of twilight. A steady breeze flowed though the air, announcing yet another rainfall. Mayu hoped that she and Nana would get back before it started coming down, but she was in no rush regardless. She would likely be back out here later in the evening as she walked Wanta, which was really just a convenient excuse to visit Bando. She smiled as she thought of him. He was much the same as when he'd first met her, but was so much different now in ways she couldn't explain. Her feelings for Bando were strong, even if she hadn't been completely sure what they meant, but she understood that their feelings about each other had changed from what they were at first. In the beginning it had been the comfort of the kinship that she had felt between them. She still didn't know very much about Bando's past, but the way he seemed to easily empathize with her made Mayu think that he had suffered at the hands of loved ones or guardians at some point in his childhood. She knew it wasn't the kind of thing a clever man could figure out about another person. You had either been there, or you hadn't. Victims could always tell one another in a crowd.<p>

She was lucky enough to have found a family of her own. Perhaps it was not with the mother who had bourne her, or the absent father, but blood relatives alone did not define "family". Her own blood relatives had only been cruel strangers. Bando had grown up differently, that much she knew. Where Mayu's defenses had been guile and resourcefulness, Bando's had been brute force and determination. These were things he still relied on to keep putting one foot in front of the other each day. He was without a purpose, so much of it ripped away from him in an instant when he had heard information from somewhere that Nyu…Lucy, was dead. When Lucy returned, Mayu had almost told Bando about it, wanting to take away his absolute crushing desolation, but she also didn't want Nyu…dammit, when would she ever stop calling her Nyu? She didn't want Lucy to die, or for that matter Bando. Her inner conflict had gotten to her a few days after Lucy had come back, when Mayu had gone to visit Bando again. She had gone to spend time with him but found Bando half drunk in a sitting position leaned against a stack of boxes under the wharf's storage area. He looked like he had just fallen down and remained in the position he had landed, holding his pistol loosely between his legs, the tip of the gun resting against the concrete. The small area stank of whiskey from a spilt bottle lying a few feet away from him. As she had walked in, he roughly pulled the slide of the gun back and heard the mechanical click of a round sliding into the chamber.

"_Oh…it's you kid. Come to see me off huh?"_

"_I…I don't know what you mean." _

Of course she did, but what could she say? She was just buying time. He sat quietly staring at the gun for a few moments before speaking again.

"_Done a lot of wandering in my life you know? Didn't mean I didn't know where I was going, but I just wasn't sure how to get there, if that makes any damn sense."_

He reached over as if to grab the whiskey bottle but upon seeing it out of his reach he gave up, unwilling to attempt standing.

"_I thought I knew what I was doing working for that fuckin nuthouse across the water. Thought I finally had a reason for all the bullshit I've been through."_

He hiccupped once and exhaled roughly, coughing a few times before continuing.

"_Just wanted to beat her…wanted to prove nobody could make me afraid or beat me down anymore."_

His determination had made sense to her at that moment; it was never about Lucy. To him, Lucy was merely a manifestation of an inner demon he was still fighting against, tooth and nail.

"_Fuckin stupid bitch…gets wasted in a god…damn…ACCIDENT!" _

He started laughing then. Bitter laughter that was almost maniacal, and she could hear such pain in the sound as she had never heard from anyone before.

"_Can't go back to Ry…the Institute. Lucy's dead, and I got nothing left but the clothes on my back and this gun. Got nothing to lose, no reason to live…so fuckin tired of all this bullshit."_

He looked at her then, and she saw the dead stare of a man who had given up on living. It wasn't the weary gaze, or pain filled stare she might have expected from a person who had merely reached their saturation point of emotional pain. There was a scary kind of relief in those eyes. The knowledge that it didn't have to last forever, and the way out was right there in his hands.

"_Please get out of here Mayu. I don't want you to see this."_

"_NO Bando!"_

"_So fucking sorry I hit you back then. Just like my fucking father who's burning in hell…"_

She almost said it, she almost did. Almost told him Lucy was still alive, and that it wasn't over. But Mayu didn't want them to kill each other. She loved them both…loved…

She loved him. She absolutely, with all her heart, loved him. It seemed impossible, the differences and gulfs between them were so vast yet…she knew what she felt was real. In so many ways, the circumstances in which they grew up made them not so different as people, despite their ages. They both knew once you found your place or your purpose in life, that you stuck to it and never let it go. It was the principle that defined them, and it was what made her love him. She couldn't let him go, couldn't let it end this way…

"_Come on kid, don't do that. Hate it when you cry."_

"_Well what else do you expect me to do huh!" _she yelled, suddenly furious in a way she had never been before, _"just walk away? How can you ask me to do that? What should I do Bando? You tell me right now, what should I do?"_

He huffed and tried to stretch his body over to grab the whiskey bottle. Mayu strode angrily towards it, picked it up and launched it outside where it shattered on another stack of boxes. Some of it had spilled on her and she dimly wondered how she was going to explain it to Kouta and Yuka.

"_You fuckin kidding me!" _he said, the beginnings of temper seeming to sober him somewhat.

"_Are you now asking me if I think this is a joke! AM I LAUGHING!"_

Angry tears streamed down her face as she fought to control her breathing. She felt like she was about to lose control of herself.

"_If I'm not supposed to care, and I'm not supposed to cry, then what do I do huh!"_

Suddenly she had to know something…a storm broke inside of her as she reached down and yanked the gun out of Bando's hand.

"_What the fuck!"_

She pressed the barrel against her head and saw Bando's eyes flash with stark terror, completely sober now.

"_This is what it feels like when you do this to me Bando."_

"_Christ Mayu, put it down, that thing's loaded and the safety's off! It's got a hair trigger for fuck's sake!"_

"_Why don't you get out of here Bando? I don't want you to see this."_

"_FUCKING GODDAMN IT!" _

He shot upright in a sudden movement but lost his balance, still dizzy from the alcohol, and slammed his shoulder roughly against a crate.

"_Mayu," _he said, bracing himself heavily against the crate and holding a hand out, _"give me the gun."_

Having watched Bando operate that pistol's every mechanism in full view of her countless times, she had picked up how to use it. He should not have been surprised but she could see the shock in his face as she hit the magazine release and let the clip fall out of the gun onto the floor, then manually ejected the chambered round into the air, throwing the pistol onto the floor afterwards. They stared at each other for many moments. She could see something in him changing at that moment, just as it was changing in her. Something was passing between them that neither could define, and no one but them would ever understand.

"_Mayu…god I'm so…shit."_

He started to collapse again with exhaustion. Mayu rushed forward and threw her arms around his waist, steadying him as he sank slowly to the floor. When he was settled, she stood back up but kept one of his hands in her own. Before she let go of his hand, he had looked at her, and it was like he was seeing her for the first time. Part of her still wanted to tell him about Lucy. She dearly hoped fate wouldn't make her choose between them, because she knew deep down who she would choose. Everything has a price, and with love, that price could be very high.

"Mayu? Where are you going? Weren't we going home? That way is the beach."

Startled, she stared dumbly at Nana who was giving her a worried look. They had delayed leaving school so that Nana could change into the dress her father had given her. Nana guarded any keepsake, or memory of him, very jealously. He must have had excellent taste, as Nana looked sharp and stunning in the dress, the color offsetting her deep pink/purple hair which had grown a few inches longer so that it was shoulder length and had developed a disheveled quality to it that only added to her charm. Mayu knew that when Nana grew older she was going to be devastating. Nana was already incredibly popular with many of the boys at school. The fact that she appeared oblivious to it all had only made a number of them crazier. None knew of her prosthetics except for the instructors as the boys were too shy to lay a finger on her and Nana was very careful not to overdo it in her enthusiasm during school. Though Mayu was sure that one of these days when Nana vehemently raised her hand, the whole arm would come flying right off. Wouldn't that be a sight?

"Ah," Mayu muttered, trying to think of a plausible excuse, years of guile making her feel the need to find one, but then realized she didn't need it, "I don't know, I must have been daydreaming."

Mayu turned around to start walking the correct way home but Nana had not moved, and was now staring in the direction of the beach.

"Why don't we go there for a while?" Nana said

"But it's getting dark."

"I know, I just…" Nana wrapped her arms around herself, "I was born again out there."

_Me too…_

"Ok," Mayu replied, "let's go!" She smiled warmly at Nana who returned the smile, a gracious look in her eyes. They were best friends but there were things that Nana still remained very reticent about, and many places that she preferred to visit on her own, as they were connected to her father's memory. Mayu knew that Nana wanted to keep those places and the memories that came with them for herself, but Nana's willingness to have Mayu go with her to the beach spoke volumes. The significance of it was not lost on Mayu.

They started out, keeping silent for a while as they walked, both deep in thought. Mayu hoped this was a sign of Nana's wounds finally starting to heal. Nana's despair had been eating her alive, and everyone could see it at home. No one knew how to reach her and everyone felt powerless. It wasn't just that Nana missed her father, but he had left her with so many unanswered questions. Questions that apparently only he had the answers to, and whatever answers there were, he had taken them to his grave. Mayu wished she could understand what her friend was going through. She never knew the pain of a loved one dying, and didn't know what you were supposed to say. She knew better than that really. What would she expect Nana to say in the reverse? If Nana knew how she had been raped by her stepfather?

"You don't have to say anything you know," Nana said suddenly, reading her thoughts exactly. Maybe they were contemplating the very same things, "it's enough that you're my friend. That has always meant so much to me."

"Your friendship means a lot to me too," Mayu replied, "I just…"

"I know Mayu."

Nana stopped and held up her arm, staring at the prosthetic hand, wrist, and forearm.

"I feel like it's fitting sometimes, that I'll never be able to feel it when I hold hands with a person or walk arm in arm with them. I just reach out," she did so, "and touch," she rested the hand against Mayu's cheek, "and I know in my mind that there should be warmth there. There are feelings attached to that physical warmth. You can't really make a connection with touch and emotion if you just…don't…feel anything."

She let her hand drop.

"When I make gestures with my hands and arms, none of it's natural because I have to concentrate my vectors to mimic the gestures that I know are supposed to tell people that I'm surprised, or excited or...anything. I just go through the motions. These arms, can't replace what's gone. They just fill the void left behind when I lost them. I can't feel anything with what's left."

Streetlights and electric lamps buzzed briefly as their timers activated and they all clicked on at once, a few of the lights illuminating slower than others, bathing the girls in synthetic light.

"Deep down, I always knew…papa was like that. I loved him so much, and I know he loved me. But in the beginning, it was like he didn't really believe that he did. Papa was cold, I knew that, but I didn't care. He was like this arm. He lost something important, and had to create an echo of what it was so he could fill the void, but I always knew deep down that he loved me. He was luckier than me though, because in the end, he saw that he never lost his heart. He gave me this whole world…"

Nana's lip quivered as she smiled, but did not cry.

"How many girls can say that they were loved so much by someone? But he's gone, and my hands don't feel what they touch. It makes me feel distant. From everyone but papa, who gave me these arms and legs that remind me of him every minute of every day, so I can't move on. I'm sorry that makes me so distant."

She turned away from Mayu but didn't resume walking.

"I knew he loved me," she said quietly, "but I never knew who he was. I want that knowledge just like I want to remember what it used to be like to have hands that could feel touch. I forget all the time what those physical sensations were like because the arms have been gone so long. Papa's gone, and I'm scared that if too much time passes and I don't find some evidence of who he was, that I'll forget him too. I don't want to forget him."

A few of the lights nearest them seemed to flicker and burn out, leaving them swathed in darkness.

Mayu stepped closer to Nana and placed her arm around her.

"Don't you see though Nana? You…"

A flash of white and a loud crack shattered her world and her thoughts.

"Aaaaahhhhhhh!"

She was disoriented, confused, in pain for some reason and her ears felt funny, a high pitched ringing in them. She collapsed to the sidewalk face first, too stunned to bother bracing her fall. She tasted blood in her mouth and everything around her was pitch black.

"NANA!" She screamed, feeling blood drip down her chin and her neck. She felt hands on her, lifting her up roughly and she screamed again, drowning out the voices of men that seemed to surround her.

"NAAAANNAAA!" The hands suddenly left her and she heard a loud grunt of pain, then the distant sound of a body slamming heavily against a wall. Mayu wobbled on her feet, stars in her eyes. A small hand grabbed her own and she could barely make out Nana's face in the dark.

"Come on Mayu! Run!"

Mayu saw the silhouettes of large men that were in their way as they ran, but then suddenly they flew through the air as if thrown violently, cries of pain and surprise growing distant as they sailed in opposite directions. She then heard gunfire, and her legs buckled in fear.

"Nana I'm scared!"

"Mayu you can't sto….aaaahh!"

Nana had covered her ears, as did Mayu, for there was suddenly a rapid succession of loud jarring sounds right next to them that utterly scattered her thoughts. She felt like a deer in headlights. Nana grabbed Mayu and she felt them lift into the air then sail over a nearby brick wall that separated the sidewalk from a series of backyards.

"Keep going Mayu!"

Her thoughts were still foggy, what was happening? _Was_ this happening?

"What…"

"Mayu please! This is how they catch you! They try to make you dizzy and confused with loud weapons, you can't let it slow you down! Come on!"

"What? Who?"

"JUST RUN!"

She heard more gunfire, and more of the nearby loud sounds that scared her with their intensity and made her want to curl up into a ball, but Nana kept pulling her forward and her mind was starting to clear just a little. Whoever the men were that were shooting at them, she understood they weren't trying to kill them. Whatever weapons they were using weren't meant to be lethal, but only shock and stun, as Nana said. Nana had seemed prepared for this at least a little bit. What did she know? Why were they after the two of them?

They darted around corners and across yards, emerging upon dark streets. Mayu had noticed the peculiar darkness suddenly, what happened to all the lights? It seemed like everywhere they ran and saw light posts, their lights were off. She saw the glow of streetlights off in the distance but they were very far away. Nana stopped for a moment to take a quick look around and then chose a destination that seemed like the clearest path to where the lights were still operating.

"If we get to the light they'll stop chasing us!"

"Why? Nana who ARE these people!"

Her answer was cut off by the sound of a small metal object striking the street near them and bouncing twice. It sounded like someone had dropped a soda can.

"COVER YOUR EARS!"

Nana slapped a hand over Mayu's eyes while she did as Nana commanded. It turned out to be a good thing she did as she heard the loud bang from before, muffled now with her hands over her ears, and saw a faint flash against her eyelids. It was still jarring, but she was able to recover more quickly. The next sound was a massive impact and cries of surprise. Mayu opened her eyes and saw a large metal dumpster had been slammed against the stone wall surrounding a nearby house. She thought she saw a dark stain on it but didn't have time to get a better look as Nana was pulling her along once again, amidst the sounds of more gunfire. Mayu could hear cries of "stop them!" behind her. She wanted to cry, and had never been more scared in her life.

"Nana what are we going to do!"

"First we have to get to the light, they don't want to be seen. They must have done something to the lights so anyone looking wouldn't be sure what they saw. Then we have to try and lose them, and get home. We have to find Lucy!"

"What? Why Lucy?"

"You girls sure are having an interesting conversation…" an amused voice sounded from above them.

Standing there upon a stone wall was a man gently illuminated by the nearby streetlights. He wore black tactical dress and had a shock of thin ice white hair that surrounded his face in different lengths, but was cut back from his eyes. There was a triumphant smile on his face behind the stare of his large pistol, which he held upon them steadily with one hand.

"So what's that about Lucy hm?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Mayu said, trying her best to be brave in his face. It's what Bando would have wanted her to do.

"Girl it would have been better for you if you'd just not said that creature's name. We were trying to do this without getting you involved. That ship has just sailed darling."

Mayu heard the men they had been running from approaching from behind, the clamor of rattling equipment and the sound of heavy booted footfalls announcing their coming. The man on the stone wall suddenly tensed as if he saw something she couldn't.

"Don't do it monster!" he said, training his gun directly on Nana. Out of the corner of her eye, Mayu saw Nana's teeth grit and the stone in front of them explode outwards as though a wrecking ball had slammed into it. The white haired man fired a single shot before he fell and the sound it made as it detonated, mere feet away from her, sounded as horrifying as the flash bang grenades had. Nana had gripped her head in agony, and Mayu felt herself being lifted off the ground by Nana's vectors.

"Mayu get out of here! Tell Lucy! Tell her I don't hate…"

She wasn't able to finish her sentence as the gunfire rang out again, and Mayu was flung towards the light, landing hard and rolling on the ground five times before she came to a stop under a brightly lit streetlight.

"NANA!"

Looking back into the dark road she had been flung from, she saw large, monstrous shadows of men converging where Nana had fallen in a sort of frenzy, wrestling something on her face then pinning her to the street. Mayu wanted to help her friend but there was absolutely nothing she could do. She saw a few of them pointing in her direction, and saw two shadows break off from the group and began running after her. She felt paralyzed for a moment in fear, then panic took over and she ran down the alleyways. As she ran, she cried and felt like she was going to hyperventilate as she raced down the streets and alleyways as fast as her legs could take her. She didn't know where she was going, but just kept running anyway, imagining the shadows around her were the images of her mysterious pursuers. She couldn't see them or hear them, and she thought perhaps she had outrun them, but fear kept her moving, and darting at every shifting shadow.

When she emerged onto a large street she tried to cry for help and flag down passing cars. The cars swerved to avoid her and the people she saw across the street only stared. She had planned to cross the road but she thought she saw movement in the alley she had just emerged from, or it could have been flickering light from the florescent sign above her that was casting shifting shadows. Either way, she didn't think she'd have time to wait for a safe moment to cross and took off down the sidewalk, looking behind her after every few steps as she panted and whimpered fearfully. She bumped into a man who had been closing the trunk of his parked car and nearly knocked him over. Mayu actually did fall down, but got up quickly and started grabbing onto him frantically.

"Please! I need help! I'm being chased!"

"What the hell? Get off me kid!"

"Please, I'm in trouble! My friend, she's…they took her and…"

She saw discomfort and panic flare in his eyes.

"Don't bother me with this stuff! Call the police or something."

"Please! They're going to take me too!"

She grabbed more tightly to him, but he roughly pried her fingers loose and shoved her onto the ground. Without saying another word or even looking at her, he quickly keyed into his car, started it up, and sped away, the tires screeching as he drove off. Her panic escalated at the fact that it seemed like no one would help her. Calling the police would do no good…

Call…phone number…help…_BANDO!_

She looked around frantically and saw a phone bank. Mayu ran to the phones and slammed roughly against them when she got there; her panic making her forget to slow down. Her fingers shook as she picked up the phone and started dialing, getting the number wrong twice, and a third time her shaking hands had hit multiple buttons. Her terror increased with each failure but midway though the forth dialing, she remembered she needed to put money in the phone. She dug around in her pack for change, looking around frantically to see if there were any of those men about, and bearing down on her. She sobbed as her trembling hands kept making her drop the change, but then ruthlessly gained control of herself enough to put the money in the machine, and dial the number.

She heard it ringing on the other end…once…twice…three times.

_PICK UP PICK UP PICK UP PICK UP!_

Four…five…

_PLEASE! I NEED YOU BANDO!_

She heard a grunt and a muffled cough on the other end. It was the most beautiful sound Mayu had ever heard in her entire life.

"_ugh…yeah? Who is it?"_

"Bando! It's Mayu! I'm in trouble, these men came out of nowhere and they were shooting! And Nana…they took Nana! And I've been running…"

"_Woah whoh. What the hell are you talking about Mayu? Shooting? Who's shooting?"_

"I don't know!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face, "please Bando! They're coming and I'm scared!"

"_Pull it together kid! You said some men attacked you and took that horned friend of yours?"_

"YES! And they're coming for me!"

"_Mayu listen to me very carefully, whoever they are, are you SURE they're definitely coming after you? They didn't just sack Nana and bail?"_

"N…no! This guy with white hair said he was going to let me go but now he won't since I mentioned Lucy!"

"_What? LUCY!"_

"Um…"

There was a strange silence on the other end, but the fact that she had just betrayed Lucy was now a minor concern to her, eclipsed by her terror. Mayu looked frantically around once more but saw nothing but empty streets. A number of streetlights suddenly flicked off further down the street where she had come from.

"_Back up, did you say a guy with white hair?"_

"Yes! He had a gun like yours!"

"_Christ…Mayu, where are you right now?"_

She looked around, she hadn't taken stock of where she was when she was running but she apparently had been steadily making her way to the water. She told Bando the intersection where she was currently standing.

"_Alright, Mayu, get off this phone and get your ass to the beach, I'll meet you up the street. Whatever you do, stay in the light! Don't go to the cops, they won't help you."_

"Bando!"

"_Go, move!"_

Phone still in hand, she turned to start running, planning on simply dropping it but then the light over her head flicked off and she saw the white haired man standing before her. Horror paralyzed her.

"End of the road sweetheart."

Mayu whirled back to the phone and shouted in the receiver.

"BANDO I LOVE YOU!"

She felt the man's fist connect with her head and she fell stunned to the ground, her vision beginning to darken. Dimly, she heard the sound of a large vehicle pulling up next to the sidewalk, and she saw the man hold the phone up to his ear.

"Bando…" he said, a look of savage pleasure in his face, "could that be you?"

He laughed a dark triumphant laugh, "you're next motherfucker. If you're smart, you'll haul ass out of whatever hole you're hiding in because I'm going to make your friend here talk. I bet she's got all kinds of interesting stories, and I can't wait to hear them all."

She faintly heard a vehement reply on the other line. The white haired man laughed pleasantly.

"I'll do what I want to her, and you'll do fuck all about it Bando. Keep your phone on, I'm going to want to talk more with you after I beat your phone number out of your pre teen girlfriend. Which by the way, is pretty fucked up of you Bando. Even I didn't think you could sink so low."

Another vehement reply, and even from where she lay, dazed and moments from passing out, she could hear the seething hatred in Bando's response.

"We'll see about that. Catch you later shithead."

He hung up the phone and laughed, pleased with himself and stood over Mayu.

"Sir," she heard someone say to him, "we gotta move!"

"Who…are…you?" Mayu said with a groan, feeling consciousness slip away. He kneeled down over her and smiled.

"I'm a Ghost…and so are you."

Her world faded to black.


	9. Imperium

"Members of the board, please be seated."

It was a spacious room, with large windows overlooking the sea beyond; Kakuzawa's office. It was now the place where the deposition would happen and where Kakuzawa went under the water, never to come back up. Erich couldn't wait for it to begin, even though he knew very well Kakuzawa would try to take him down as well. Erich was ready for it, he almost hoped that fool would try.

All around him they sat, like unyielding statues, caricatures of professionalism. He didn't know any of them really, just superficial information. Some of their names he couldn't even recall, and he hoped they would introduce themselves before any of them spoke. It wouldn't look very good on him if he had to ask their names and therefore show how little regard he had for them. The man who was to be the spokesman of this discussion cleared his throat and ruffled some papers.

"Before we begin, and we hear your…explanation…Kakuzawa…these are the facts. Your branch was charged with the study of the Diclonius and the creation of a cure or vaccine resulting from said studies. What we find instead is little to no progress towards that end, and evidence of viral weapon research as your team's focus. Furthermore, nearly all of your test subjects have successfully initiated some sort of escape from their confinement and all caused death and devastation before they were either exterminated or simply slipped from between your fingers, running free out there somewhere. I'd like to hear how you would consider this anything other than a complete and total disaster."

Kakuzawa spread his hands out in supplication but the gesture was clumsy and desperate instead of imploring.

"I wish to remind the board," Kakuzawa began, "about my numerous reports on the danger posed by the Diclonius. I have asked repeatedly for increased funds to reinforce security measures in the holding facilities, but did not receive them. How am I to ensure continued security of my facilities without the means with which to provide adequate security?"

Another faceless board member spoke up, some woman.

"You have received those funds, and more Director Kakuzawa. What exactly were you doing with them if not putting them towards securing your holding areas?"

At this, Kakuzawa looked at Erich, who was pretending not to notice him. There was a short silence where he knew Kakuzawa was staring at him, and he also knew some members of the board were beginning to notice Kakuzawa's attention on Erich.

"I can answer that," a cold, clipped feminine voice with a French accent answered, another member of the board. This one's name he actually remembered; Celine Lacroix. Her long raven black hair was tied up in a complicated pattern, held together with wooden hair sticks, her eyes cold behind a pair of glasses, and her slim, curvaceous figure carefully fit within the trappings of her professional dress. Yet she still somehow managed to be intoxicatingly alluring. She was one of those that once you laid eyes on her, it was difficult to forget her.

She went on, "I have taken the liberty of tracking where Director Kakuzawa's funds have been going since he received them. They have gone into things like hormonal research as it pertains to fertility, large amounts of funds going into setting up areas of this facility to have home like accommodations for numerous guests whom at this point are unknown. He has pumped vast amounts of money to his now deceased son who, as we already know, was not working on a cure, but was researching Diclonius reproduction. There even appear to be some purchases for the holding areas that are designed for…comfort."

She turned towards the other board members, "we believe he wasn't trying to cull the Diclonius numbers at all with his research. We think he wants to breed them and increase their numbers."

Erich waited for Kakuzawa to deny it, but he just sat there. After all, what else could he do? The evidence was plain enough to see. Erich saw Kakuzawa turn towards him again and he knew it was coming.

"I have no defense, I cannot dispute the facts gathered by Director Lacroix, but perhaps you all should be focusing closer upon one of your own! Perhaps you would be interested to know how Director Vanith has been allocating his own funds? I am certainly not the only one who has been interested in taking the Diclonius research in an unorthodox direction."

_Miserable piece of shit. Bring it on Kakuzawa. _

Erich felt the eyes on him, but he showed no signs of being perturbed by Kakuzawa's outburst. The eyes he felt the keenest were Director Lacroix's, burning into him like ice with their disdain.

"Excuse me Kakuzawa," said the first speaker, who Erich remembered was Director Westmore, "but were you about to levy accusations upon Director Vanith? I should hope if you plan to do this, that there is some evidence to back it up."

They had all suspected him of his own dark dealings with the Diclonius research, which was why Westmore was even bothering to let Kakuzawa speak his nonsense and not shut him up outright. Well that was just fine. It was all going to come out eventually, so it might as well be now.

"I have kept records of his expenses and I have copies of his Institute's research reports. Erich Vanith is creating murderous Diclonius assassins and has already unleashed them upon the streets of his own country!"

There were hushed whispers, and accusatory glances. Erich reveled in it, at being the pariah. People would talk, they would resist, and try to convince themselves that they didn't want exactly what he wanted. But he would make them see right here tonight, that his way, was the only sensible way to deal with the Diclonius. Kakuzawa had initiated the song. Now it was time to dance. Erich rose slowly to his feet and straightened his suit, meticulously straightening his cuffs and readjusting his tie. He knew how to cut the "professional" appearance, and knew it impressed those around him.

"Director Vanith," said Westmore, "are these accusations true?"

Erich looked him directly in the eyes.

"Yes…they are."

Shock, gasps, incredulous glances. The only one who did not indulge in such silliness was Director Lacroix, who merely stared with a chilly facial expression. It reminded him so much of Angel. He wondered how she was doing.

"You see!" Kakuzawa said with a maniacal grin on his face, he thought he had victory in his grasp…the fool, "he admits it!"

"But that does not excuse you Kakuzawa," Erich said with a mocking smile. He stepped around his desk and walked slowly so that he was standing before the board members, the martyr facing the firing line.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the board. Let us consider a moment the Diclonius problem. For generations, evolution has been the way of the changing world, and while physical evolution has tapered off with homo sapiens, there have been other avenues of evolution; all of them existing in the human mind. Until recently, that evolution has been the realm of thought and imagination. These things shaped our understanding of the world but at each turn of intellectual evolution, it had been met with fear, violence, and repression. Consider Socrates who implored those of the world to think and reason, and was rewarded with execution. Who was the true threat to the world? Socrates? Or those that destroyed him?"

He looked around the room, his movements and the silken croon of his voice had them all in rapt attention. He went on.

"We are living in a world of beasts, governed by simple minds who stifle the forward progress of our species. Any significant leaps in discovery, be it philosophy, mathematical, medical, or science," he put great emphasis on that last word, "were done in secret, by cloak and dagger organizations, just like our own here. All of you in this room, you feel you are the masters here. But you are all slaves, and you began the construction of the Institute as slaves."

"Now see here Director Vanith…"

"Let him finish," Director Lacroix said sharply, turning her attention back to Erich, "continue please."

"Thank you Celine," her face remained unchanged; Erich cleared his throat and went on, "We…are all slaves to this world run by fools and populated by animals. We are forced by our governments to operate in secret. And what has been the reason for our creation and assembly? The Diclonius are that reason. A new biological evolution of humankind. And what have our orders been? Any of you could tell me that right now couldn't you?"

Erich pointed to Westmore, "our mission is?"

Director Westmore stared at Erich for a moment before answering, "the aim of the Institute is to regulate and cull the spread of the vector virus, and prevent the Diclonius from carrying out its prime directive to exterminate mankind."

"Our mission is to destroy them. That is the point plain and simple. But what do we often do instead? We are researchers, we search for knowledge, we are not wont to exterminate them. Every one of us here is conducting ongoing studies on the Diclonius species, but none of you have dared to apply that research to anything useful. My own orders from my government were to discover if these creatures could be used as weapons of war…deterrence…to dissuade attacks upon them, and perhaps maybe…just maybe…to have the edge in any…political…negotiations?" he said with a short laugh.

"Can any of you tell me you did not receive similar orders? A "suggestion" of their militaristic application?"

He waited, almost sure that he would receive some sort of opposition. But upon hearing none and seeing instead the nervous glances, his chest swelled with glee and he had to force it ruthlessly down. He HAD them!

"The "Diclonius Problem" is one of control. It is only a problem to the impotent leaders of the world because they fear losing control. We were created to facilitate that control upon the new species, but what becomes of us and the world if we give the Diclonius to them to use as they will? We all are historians as well as scientists. We've had to be in order to study the origins of these creatures, but because this is what we are, we see the path that the world is taking. Relations between countries are getting ever worse, religious zealotry is causing the deaths of millions, stubborn world leaders are refusing to come to compromises, wars are on the horizon, and some conflicts are already escalating into full blown warfare. Our world is burning around us, and we are being asked to stoke the flames…are we not?"

Utter silence, he always knew this was what they had all been thinking. They were just waiting for someone to say it first, and that poor fool Kakuzawa had given him the chance to do exactly that.

"We all in this room are possessed of a unique opportunity. We are autonomous of our government, outside their law through their own request so that we might do what we must. We have our own personal armies, and we have at our disposal what could be the greatest weapons this world has ever seen. None but us know what we are doing with them…what we are learning from them."

"Just what are you saying Director Vanith?" Westmore asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Erich replied, "I'm suggesting we seize power ourselves."

Westmore shot to his feet, knocking his chair over, "outrageous! I won't hear anymore of this insanity! Guards!"

Erich laughed, "Westmore take your seat, what do you think this is? The fifteenth century? You can't just shout the word "guards" and expect them to come running in with clanking armor and halberds. We're in a soundproofed room."

"You can't expect us to accept what you're saying!"

"And why can't we?" Lacroix chimed in, rising to her impressive six foot height. She was as tall as Angel was too…why did he keep thinking about Angel at such odd times?

"Director Vanith is quite right," she went on, "in fact Westmore, where is it you hail from? America? The French government seems to believe dropping a Diclonius child into Washington would solve a lot of problems, particularly if your troops' occupation of the middle east starts becoming…a bit uncomfortable."

Westmore was stunned into silence.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Erich resumed, "we all know the stakes of what is happening in the world right now. I freely admit, I have been training my girls to be warriors. If any of you have been secretly doing what I have been doing, you are smart men and women. We all know that the day will come when we will be forced from our positions, our research appropriated, and our actions condemned. We will likely spend the rest of our lives rotting in some political prison somewhere with no one knowing about our existence. All of us know this to be true as we have seen how the bureaucratic machine runs. And as we die, they will misuse the Diclonius and they will either destroy the world with them, or lose control and they will destroy us themselves and propagate. _We_ are the ones who have control, and so it should be _we _who _take_ control away from those who are ruining the world. It is our responsibility."

Erich pointed to Kakuzawa, "Director Kakuzawa has indeed committed a crime here. He would have the Diclonius propagate and destroy us, but worse even than that, he has proven that he never had control. The disaster of Kamakura is proof enough of that, and such an incapable loose cannon should not be allowed to reign among us. This is our time, our hour of triumph. We all have the future in our hands in a way that none in the world do. All we must do, is take what is ours."

Kakuzawa who had been listening in stunned silence, finally roared to life.

"Damn you Erich! After all I did to help you, you would dare betray me this way!"

"I never needed you Kakuzawa, and it was your design to throw me to the wolves this day. You're out of control Kakuzawa. Your time has come."

"YOU SON OF A BITCH ERICH!"

He lunged for Erich to wrap his hands around his throat but Erich deftly sidestepped, and yanked off Kakuzawa's wig, exposing his darkest secret to them all. All of the board members leapt to their feet immediately, and Director Lacroix opened her cell phone, dialing rapidly. Kakuzawa stupidly tried to cover the horns with his hands.

"I…it's not…I'm not."

Security personnel flooded the room, called by Director Lacroix.

"Secure the Diclonius," she said coldly. The men fired non lethal rounds into Kakuzawa's legs and he screamed in pain, the other security personnel attaching a vector nullifier upon him, not knowing it would not be necessary. Males did not possess the brain chemistry to command the use of vectors. All they were, were freaks.

"Erich!" Kakuzawa said desperately, "tell them! You can't let them do this to me! For the love of god Erich PLEASE!"

"Take him to holding chamber eight," Erich said coldly.

"Yes sir Director."

"EERRRIIICCHHHHH!"

They drug him away, his screams producing a dark satisfaction in Erich.

_Checkmate motherfucker._

After Kakuzawa had been removed from the room, Erich once again straightened his suit and made a dramatic show of collecting himself and his dignity, knowing it was expected of a man of his stature. It would not do to appear too frazzled by something as small as discovering a member of the board was a Diclonius. The irony could not appear to phase him, he had to be seen as stronger than that, especially now.

"What would you have us do…Director Vanith?"

That coming from Westmore. Erich wanted to scream in triumph, it was happening! His plans that he had been waiting so long to implement were finally beginning.

"Right now? We continue our research, but we start cultivating our test subjects to be fighters that respond to stimuli and orders solely from the Institute's directors…ourselves. As you now know, my own Institute has done extensive research on how to accomplish this."

"I understand you have one of your test subjects on hand with you here? Test subject number five?"

He felt a moment's instinct to protect her from the greedy eyes of the other directors. Angel was his…she belonged to…

…christ.

"Director Vanith?"

"What?" he collected himself, "yes, she should be asleep by now in holding chamber four."

"I think we would all like to see a demonstration of her abilities while we are here in Kamakura."

"That wouldn't be unreasonable."

"However Director Vanith, number five must remain here at the Kamakura Institute when you leave."

A stab of…something…rushed through him at that. Leave Angel behind? Unthinkable.

"I'm afraid that would be impossible Director Westmore."

"None of the other Institutes have the countermeasures against the Diclonius that this facility has, due to the nature of its research. With a subject as potentially dangerous as number five, it simply makes sense to keep it within reach of those countermeasures."

"I really must insist that she return to Europe with me."

"And I really must insist, Director Vanith, that she doesn't. Or are you out of control as well? Like Kakuzawa?"

Damn him…DAMN him…

He had no choice. He had to play ball. It wouldn't be forever anyway, he would be back to claim her. Maybe on that day he'd have Angel show him a little about being out of control. Satisfied with that, he recomposed himself.

"Of course not Director…I will naturally comply."

"Then it is settled. Tomorrow we will reconvene and see just what your girl can do Director Vanith. This meeting is adjourned."

* * *

><p>Erich watched her as she slept, held upright in her containment capsule, Angel's head and bare shoulders the only things visible from the enclosure. This would be the last night he had to be alone with her before the Institute separated them. Naturally there was going to be an adjustment period for him, as he had spent so much time working with Angel and dealing with her. The fools that were presuming to take her away did not know what they were dealing with. He would have to provide extensive warnings and instructions in handling her. They would never understand her the way he did.<p>

He cleared his throat involuntarily and saw her eyes flick open, the chilling gaze immediately prevailing upon her face.

"Sorry to have woken you Angel."

"Evening…lover," she said in a slow, malevolent whisper, "what brings you to my prison? Want to share my chains?" She chuckled darkly.

"Yes."

Her face froze, the amusement fading, and she fell quiet.

"I came to see you."

She was beautiful and perfect, her deep red-pink hair spilling down her face and shoulders like water, her blood red eyes piercing and lovely. He allowed himself to notice these things, in a way he never had before. Why not? He wouldn't be seeing her again for a very long time, if ever again. It made it easier to admit to himself that he noticed her.

She then laughed softly, "don't play games Erich. They don't suit you as well as you think they do."

"No games Angel. I don't have any more time for them now, especially not with you."

"What are you talking about?"

"There's something I came to tell you…"

He could almost see the knowledge blooming on her face before he said the words, and saw the enclosure shake as she unconsciously railed against it. He suddenly couldn't speak, and it was even harder with Angel looking at him the way she was. Fury and desperation creating a storm within her gaze that made him feel momentarily swept away. He gathered his wits and was about to tell Angel what he'd come to say when he suddenly felt gentle hands touch him about his waist and slide up his chest, feeling a warm female body press against his back, then lips against his neck followed by a low moan issuing from deep within the woman's throat. Erich was not startled by the familiar touch, and simply let himself revel in it.

"You were wonderful in there Erich," a silky feminine voice whispered in his ear.

Stepping around to Erich's front, Celine Lacroix trailed her fingers around his shoulder to his chest and began to slide her fingers down.

"I could hardly wait for that foolishness to end," she said in her alluring French accent, "and shame on you besides Erich…you were giving me that stare of yours that you know drives me crazy."

"It wasn't intentional Celine," Erich said with a small grin, "honest."

"I'm sure," she said dramatically, pulling the sticks out of her night black hair, letting it tumble down around her, then dropped the sticks onto the floor where they made an echoing clatter. She grabbed his hand in one of hers, and threw her other arm around his neck, pressing her body against him. He felt a rush of blood go straight between his legs as her voice sounded once more, a hair's breadth from his neck.

"I've missed you Erich. How long has it been?"

"Too long…Celine, the cameras…"

"Are off, and this wing executively locked. I wanted a chance to be alone with you for a while. I couldn't stand it any longer."

She began to unbutton her shirt and for a while, Erich was entirely lost in the moment. Celine was his little secret from everyone; not even Kakuzawa knew about his trysts with her. He had seen a kindred spirit in Celine; not in the way that people in love find kindred spirits, but rather as woman who understood his darkest nature, and danced in the flames along with him. It was a mutual relationship of shared depravity, where they acted out the darkest urges inside them, and so much of it had been deliciously terrible.

She had known beforehand of what he was doing with the Diclonius, and she had also known he would likely become involved in the deposition. When they had spoken on the phone she had offered to do her own doctoring of the evidence that might possibly be raised against him, but Erich had refused. He knew he could handle Kakuzawa, and had assured Celine everything would be fine. She had made him promise that everything would be fine three times before she would allow him to hang up. He wondered if she actually _did_ love him. He hoped she didn't; she'd be a fool.

He felt her grab his hand and slide it up her bare leg that she had raised to hook around him and guided it inside her skirt, pressing her lips against him and biting his lower lip until he felt pain. Her passion was almost desperate, could she be in love with him? Why should that matter…

As she moved her head around to kiss his neck, he looked over her shoulder and his blood froze. Angel was staring deeply into his eyes, not blinking, no expression on her face. It was not a dead stare that she gave him, but rather intense to a degree he couldn't possibly fathom, but there was no rage, or insanity present there. She was just watching, staring at him, never breaking her gaze from his eyes, and he was trapped. He couldn't look away from her if he tried, and he certainly did try, as hard as he could. Dimly, he remembered Celine was reaching between his legs to unfasten his belt, and heard her heavy breathing like echoes in a vast cavern; a distant sound, as if it were something not really happening to him.

"Celine…" he said, gently stopping her.

"What's wrong?" she said in a husky exhaling of breath, frustration beginning to show in her eyes.

"I don't think we should do this in front of her."

"What?" she said, clearly dumbfounded, then whirled her head around, the movement causing her unbuttoned shirt to fall to her elbows, exposing her breasts.

"You're not feeling modest about _that_ are you Erich?"

Celine chuckled and waved to Angel, waggling her fingers. Angel did not look at her, but instead kept her eyes locked on Erich, saying nothing.

"Does it talk?" she asked.

"Celine…don't…"

She ignored him and disengaged herself from Erich, pulling her shirt back over her shoulders but not buttoning it back up, then took the three steps towards Angel's enclosure to stand within inches of her.

"Celine, she's very hostile."

"Oh that's the way I like them. You like them that way too if I recall."

She regarded Angel's visible physical features that could be seen from the enclosure. When she wouldn't acknowledge Celine, she reached out and took Angel's chin in her hand and turned her head to face her. Only now did Angel turn her full attention on Celine, staring through her as she did Erich.

"You're a pretty girl aren't you number five? Very pretty indeed."

"So are you," Angel said in a chilling, raspy voice. Celine would not have noticed it, but Erich could hear the fathomless hatred in her tone. He wanted to stop this, but he felt like a hypocrite. He and Celine had…

Celine spun around slowly and leaned against Angel's enclosure, regarding Erich with lustful eyes, "he's beautiful isn't he number five? I bet you want him just as badly as I do, don't you? Are you a good girl for Erich?" she said with a playful laugh.

"I can be a good girl," she said in her dead, icy tone, "but Erich tells me to be bad."

Celine laughed, "that sounds like him, I bet he does."

She shot Erich a reproachful look. "Why don't you come here and take me? Right here. Fucking in front of the test subjects never stopped you before. In fact, I seem to remember how much of a thrill it gave you…and me too. You know I love it when they watch."

She reached her hand up and ran it through Angel's hair, who allowed her to do it without protest, but her eyes were once again locked upon Erich's.

"You might as well come get your thrills with this one before you have to go back to Europe without her. Such a shame that Westmore pulled that nonsense, but a man of your skills won't be delayed for long without one test subject."

No, NO! _He_ had meant to tell her that he was leaving. Not like this, he didn't want her to find out like this.

"What…?" Angel said in a slow whisper that seemed to reveal a rising panic within her.

"I meant to tell you…"

"No…" Angel whispered.

Celine had seemingly been oblivious to this exchange and approached Erich once again, the familiar lust in her eyes. He thought she was going to resume her sexual advances but she instead turned around and leaned her back against him, taking his hands and placing them around her belly.

"Celine, I think…"

"Don't call me that, you know I hate that name between us. I like the one you call me when we're together."

He felt trapped, locked in the inevitability of Angel's accusing stare, made all the worse because there was no hint of anger, pain, rage, sadness, anything in those eyes. They were merely objects that recorded what she would consider betrayal. But goddamn it he owed Angel NOTHING! She was a TEST SUBJECT! Nothing more. He felt Celine squeeze his hands.

"Say it Erich…say my name and tell me you want me…"

Erich returned Angel's stare and matched its intensity as he opened his mouth to speak the name he used with Celine. The word that would damn him.

"I want you…Angel." Gaze locked upon hers, he wasn't sure who he was talking to.

There it was, he finally saw some emotion in that face. Agony.

"Tell me more…" Celine whispered.

"I need you Angel," he continued, never taking his eyes off of Angel, "more than I could dare admit. I miss you when we're not together, and it pains me that we'll be separated soon. I don't want you to go, I don't want to leave. Ever since you came into my life, there hasn't been room for anything else. I can't stop thinking about you. Even when I sleep I dream of you."

He watched Angel strain against her restraints and her breathing began to quicken. He saw her mouth the words and knew what she was saying….

…_take me with you…_

"Erich," Celine said in astonishment as she broke away, turning to face him, covering herself, "you…you've never said anything like that to me before."

"I meant every word."

"I…" Celine was clearly moved, "I've always wondered how you…if you really felt…"

Celine stepped close to Erich again and slowly wrapped her arms around him, resting her forehead against his chest.

"Me too Erich…I need you too, it kills me that we have so little time. That it should be like this."

He could feel Angel's desperation, and finally he could admit to himself that she had shattered his barriers. It was easier now that he was having Angel taken out of his hands, and if he could be honest with himself, he was damn glad for it. It would take a long time to get her out of his head, but she needed to be gone. She was breaking something inside him and it had to stop. Might as well be now. Meanwhile, it seemed that Celine was wanting a real relationship. Why not? He could certainly do worse than Celine, and he did like her. He took her face in his hands and kissed her, and felt her kiss back, different from before. Not so much lewdness, but rather tenderness.

"I almost forgot," she said, reaching in one of her pockets, retrieving a key. This she pressed into Erich's hand and closed his fingers around it.

"You remember my place in Kamakura don't you? I had this made when I got into the city. As nice as the housing accommodations are, I think you'll like my own much better. I want you to stay with me while you're here."

"But the board…"

"Won't find out. And even if they do, you have united us all in purpose. We won't be answering to anyone but ourselves from now on. Let them find out about us."

She kissed him one last time then began to fix her clothes and straighten them, retrieving the hair sticks from the ground, and tying them into a simple knot, which was not nearly as complicated as the one she had walked into the Institute with.

"I can take care of the logistics of setting up a preliminary agenda for our plan. After all, I know just as much about what you wish to accomplish. You go back to my place, I'll take care of things for now. You've done the hard part, convincing the board of our position."

"Alright Celine, thank you. I think I'll do that, I am rather exhausted."

She smiled and then turned to walk away, stopping a moment to wave at Angel.

"Good night number five. Get some rest, you have a busy time ahead of you. See you again soon."

"Sooner than you think," Angel said, her voice dripping with malice.

Celine made no indication of having heard this remark and exited the room, removing the lockdown. When they were alone again Erich turned to face Angel, who was not looking at him, but was rather staring off into space as though catatonic. Erich tried to position himself so that her eyes would have no choice but to fall upon him, but it was a fruitless effort, as she just looked through him, not seeing him. He wanted to explain somehow, make it right in some way. There was nothing he could say; the order was handed down. Erich would be leaving Angel behind at long last.

"I'm sorry Angel, I didn't want you to find out this way."

Nothing, no response.

"Would you say something?"

Silence, her eye twitched involuntarily.

"After I leave this room, this could be the last we see of one another. Forever."

At this, her eyes focused and she looked at him, but did not speak. It was useless, she had closed herself off from him, and he had nothing to say really. This was the end of the road for the two of them. He sighed and turned around to leave.

"Good night Angel…and goodbye."

He heard dark laughter behind him as he walked away. The sound made him quicken his steps, for what he heard in the increasing laughter that became maniacal as the door closed behind him, was the sound of insanity unleashed. He knew he would hear that sound in his nightmares. As he leaned against the door, and the sound of the laughter was cut off, he closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry Angel," he whispered to himself in the cold flickering light of the observation room. He took a few moments to switch off the lights in Angel's enclosure so that she could get some sleep and then started walking away. He had to get out of here and remembered Celine's key in his pocket. Perhaps in the morning, when he awoke to see Celine, things would start to get back to normal with him. He began to walk down the hall to the ship launch that would take him to the mainland. Each step he took felt sluggish, as though he were straining against invisible chains that would always, inexorably, lead him back to her…


	10. The Angel and the Demon

Getting in had been harder than she'd imagined it would be.

Lucy crept around the brightly lit, sterile corridors in the depths of the Institute, wrapped in her long dark coat. She had briefly entertained the idea of taking out one of the guards and obtaining a disguise, but that had been when she was still infiltrating the perimeter and was seeing S.A.T soldiers in full battle dress, standing guard everywhere. She remembered, and had her memory's accuracy confirmed when she got further inside, that the guards within did not wear large black bulky outfits and masks. They looked like regular security guards, which was deceptive, as they were highly trained. If she had taken one out and donned his uniform, it would have made no difference. Even from a distance, anyone would have been able to tell she didn't belong, and besides, it left a body for someone to potentially discover. That would raise alarms which would cause the whole place to become locked down and render her entire purpose for coming here, useless.

She reached a T intersection at the end of her hallway, the directions going either left, or right. Using her vectors, she retrieved two small mirrors and floated them to the corners in either direction, panning them to check for guards or anyone else. Finding the way was clear, she chose a direction that took her closer to the faint sensation that she knew to be a Diclonius' brain signature. She, like Nana, could sense the moods and general personalities of the various Diclonius they had run across, such as when they encountered one another, and when they both faced Mariko. But what she felt now…was mute, unreadable, diminished somehow. Not diminished in the strength of the signature, but rather in the signature itself, somewhat lacking in definition. It was like trying to interpret what an amorphous shape looked like for someone who had not seen it. She hoped it didn't mean this girl, for she was sure the prisoner was female, was broken. She had come close to feeling that pain many nights when she was imprisoned at this place. Locked away, unable to move a muscle, left alone for hours and hours, unable to use her vectors to escape. It had produced a kind of madness within her that did not start to melt away until she was back with Kouta

Kouta…

She had not wanted to leave when it was time. Kouta had walked her to the door in silence, holding her hand. Lucy had paused at the door and suddenly couldn't take another step. Staring straight ahead, she felt frozen in place, and found it hard to draw breath. When Kouta squeezed her hand, she slowly turned and grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, holding herself close to him with her head resting on his shoulder. His arms encircled her, holding her tightly and she gave into the trembling that she had been fighting against.

"_I'm scared Kouta…I'm scared to go back."_

"_Let me come with you Lucy," _he asked her yet again. As the hour of her departure had gotten closer, she could sense the stress within Kouta. He didn't want her to face it alone, but she knew he wouldn't be able to defend himself from the forces that awaited them there. She didn't want him to get hurt, and felt a stab of guilt at knowing that he was just as afraid for her own safety. For Kouta, she knew it would be worse because he was going to be the one to sit at home and wait. She hated herself for putting him through it, but she needed to do this. She needed to if she could ever hope to forgive herself for all the wrongs she had done in her life. Especially to Kouta.

"_If I let you come with me, I don't think I'd make it farther than the coast. All I'd want to do is go back home with you. I can't even get out of the front door."_

"_Lucy, maybe you shouldn't do this. I understand why you need to, I really do, but look at yourself. You're terrified…god…what did they do to you in there?"_

That did it, Lucy started to cry remembering how much pain, and helplessness she had felt, strapped down in a dark place and knowing that everything she touched turned to ashes, mourning the precious few people she had loved, Kouta and Aiko, who's lives she had destroyed. She remembered how during the day they stripped her of clothes, dignity, identity, and subjected her to tortures, her tormentors wearing impassive facial expressions, indifferent to her suffering. She remembered the anguish she felt every waking moment, surrounded by cold steel walls, wishing her jailors would just kill her…or that she could kill them.

As she sobbed in his arms, she felt those arms tighten protectively, feeling Kouta's own frustrated rage.

"_Bastards…those bastards," _he whispered vehemently.

"_Yes, I am terrified," _she cried_, "but that's why it has to be me. That's why I have to go. Whoever they've got in there…that could have been me. I almost went insane, and I probably would have if I didn't get out of there and find you. You were my second chance at life. Maybe I can offer someone there what you offered me. I don't want you to be in danger when I do this. I have the weapons to stand up to anything they can throw at me, but if they killed you, I wouldn't have a reason to use them. I'd just let them take me too."_

"_Lucy…"_

"_I know you feel powerless to help, and I'm so sorry for that. You just have to trust me."_

"_Promise me you'll come back. Look me in my eyes and promise me."_

Could she do that? Her mission was going to be incredibly dangerous, and besides, she did not give her word on things lightly. But for Kouta? There was no limit to what she could do for him…what she _would_ do for him.

She pulled back, resolve making her sobs vanish and her breathing steady; looking deeply into his eyes.

"_I promise you Kouta, nothing will keep me from coming back home to you. Nothing will stop that."_

"_Promise me you'll…you'll…promise me you'll do…whatever it takes…whatever you have to do, to come back safely."_

She held her breath as she watched him, reading his gaze. She knew what he was asking, and she knew what it had cost him mentally and emotionally to ask, so she would not ask him to clarify, nor would she voice it out loud to confirm. She knew what he was asking: he was telling her not to hold back.

He was telling her to kill if she had no other choice.

Kouta…

She merely nodded her head, and mutual understanding passed between them. He was horrified by bloodshed and violence, and was still somewhat unable to deal with the prospect of witnessing it firsthand, but after listening to both her and Nana, and what they had struggled against for so long, he was at least beginning to concede that sometimes there was no avoiding it. You could not reason with evil, you could only destroy it, for evil made no apologies for itself, and gloried in its own dark nature. Lucy knew deep down in the dark recesses of her soul that if she had the opportunity, she would destroy this place. She would burn it to the ground and scatter the ashes.

As the anger began to burn within her, she let it wash away the fear and anxiety, replacing them with focus and control. She felt her face slip into the cold mask that was so familiar to her, and stalked the hallways with renewed vigor. She was getting close now, she could feel it. Even this close, the presence she was sensing still felt pallid and mute, but now that she _was_ close, she could feel something else too. Lucy couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it reminded her of a small burning fire, obscured in a gray haze. Something stirring, growing in strength but without anyone being able to notice. Her wandering thoughts almost caused her to be discovered as she heard a door slide open nearby, followed by the sound of loud footsteps echoing in the hallway as the figure began to pass through the door.

Nowhere to hide. Lucy looked left and right frantically before she threw her vectors out like whips, and carried herself up to the top of the twenty foot high ceiling, making herself as flat as she could, and hoping like hell that no one else came into the hallway. She would be discovered for sure.

The man that walked out was dressed immaculately, if slightly disheveled in appearance, but she only noticed that because she was concentrating so acutely on him. He had dark hair that was jaw length but was combed back away from his face, creating the appearance of being ruggedly windswept. His facial features had the odd combination of being both strong, yet delicate, and accentuated by a pair of eyeglasses that were of a slight frame and did not dominate his face. His walk did not match his obviously expensive, black business suit. He appeared downtrodden, weary, and seemed to be in a sort of daze. He walked…almost staggered…towards the wall opposite of the door he had emerged from and braced his forearm on it, after which he leaned his head against that forearm and sagged against the wall. He stood there a long while, not moving or making any sort of noise, and with each second that passed, Lucy became more and more agitated at being so exposed. This man might not notice her hovering straight above him, but all it would take was one person to exit any of the countless rooms she could see in either direction. She wished he would take his personal crisis somewhere else.

Suddenly he burst into violent motion, and Lucy almost lost her concentration. The well dressed man started punching the wall over and over again, pounding on it in abject frustration.

"God fucking dammit son of a fucking BITCH! Get out of my head! Get out of my fucking head!"

She saw blood on his knuckles where the skin had split. The man leaned against the wall once more, catching his breath, trying to get control of himself after quickly looking left and right to ensure that he was alone in the hallway. He then turned and leaned his back against the wall and she saw him deflate, as if he were letting go of something he was holding onto for a long time.

"Why can't I just let you go?" he said out loud to himself, closing his eyes, "what have you done to me?" he whispered.

After a few more tense moments, he began slowly and meticulously collecting himself, making a fuss about straightening his suit and cuffs, then his tie, actually clearing his throat as though he were preparing to address someone, then fixed his glasses. His eyes, which had held weariness and misery, began to sharpen along with the rest of his face into a mask of indifference. After this ritual, he started walking again, stiffly and with iron control. The transformation had fascinated Lucy who was actually finding it difficult to believe that he had broken down so violently just moments ago.

Lucy then noticed the door itself. She recognized it as a high security access door that was supposed to lock itself after high ranking personnel passed through, but it would do that only as long as the area had a general executive lockdown, where administrators could regulate doors to be self locking after keypad or keycard entry, or they could be locked entirely, denying access to every soul in the facility except the administrator that initiated the lockdown. In the event that medical or security teams needed to be able to move quickly throughout those areas, there was a third option that simply lifted all security measures from the doors, and anyone could come and go as they pleased, but often times, it was done simply because the administrator was busy with something he wanted to get back to and didn't feel like spending the time it would take to manually reset security after a lockdown, trusting the security to "do their jobs". For whatever reason, it looked like something similar had just happened, as she recognized the green lights next to the door controls. Someone had done a full security bypass; likely a careless mistake or complacency due to the lack of incidents that occurred there. As far as she knew, Lucy was the last person to really throw the Institute into an uproar, and that had been over a year ago. Apparently they had very short memories.

She also knew that this door in particular led to the holding areas in this part of the facility…and the presence was coming from somewhere on the other side of that door. She silently thanked the idiot who ran the security bypass, and dropped to the ground, activating the door control quickly and stepping out of view as the door opened. After checking with her mirror to ensure that there was no one on the other side, she quickly darted inside, hearing the hiss of the automatic door sliding shut.

The lights were dimmer within the hallway. Not from burnt out bulbs or weak electrical current, but it seemed that someone had deliberately turned a number of them off. The light was softer, creating a sort of intimate mood. There were three doors that Lucy knew led to observation rooms, and those observation rooms led to the Diclonius captives themselves in their containment areas. The presence was so close now and being so close to her objective started making Lucy's heart race with anticipation and anxiety. She took her steps more slowly and reached the door control to the enclosure she knew was the correct one. Holding her breath, she activated it and the door slid open, too quickly for Lucy's comfort. Inside was the observation room, which was darker than the hallway, with only a single fluorescent light to illuminate the room. Additional lights glared from the various control panels and there was a persistent, but subtle atmosphere of sound caused by the internal fans in the various electronic devices and computers, as well as the climate control system that ran with the constant sound of flowing air through the vents. A strange sense of excitement rushed through Lucy's body like needles, being in the depths of a place she was not intended to have access to, and a rush of confidence at being near to accomplishing her purpose. Once she freed their prisoner, she didn't have to worry about being quiet. If she chose to, she could tear the Institute apart on her way out, and was seriously considering doing exactly that.

Slowly she crossed the room to the last door that connected the observation room with the enclosure, feeling the presence beyond pulsing with its proximity. The gray fog that she sensed felt as though it were all around her, and she was moving slowly through psychic mist. She thought for a moment that she could actually see rolling fog all around her, but knew it was just her mind playing tricks. As she reached the door, she found herself needing to take a moment to control her breathing; where was all this anxiety coming from? With a shaking hand, she reached up, and activated the door control. As her finger released the button, the door slid slowly open. Much more slowly than the previous door had opened.

The room within was dark, the illumination coming from four weak emergency lights that lit the room in a dim red glow, but that light did not reach the edges of the room, leaving only blackness there. The sight of the room and those lights evoked terrible memories of when she would be locked in that very same darkness for "sleep" though she never could get herself to fall asleep. She would typically pass out when she had kept herself awake for too long and her body would involuntarily shut down. In the middle of the room, bathed in faint red light…was her. Strangely enough, when she had opened the door, the presence had vanished as if it had never been. Not quite gone, but very faint, almost to the point where Lucy wondered if she had merely been imagining it this entire time.

As she stepped through the door, she heard it slowly slide shut behind her and cut off the comforting sounds of background noise in the previous room. In this room with the captive Diclonius, there was only silence except for the echoes of her footsteps around the room as she walked slowly towards the girl. From far away, Lucy couldn't see her face; just the hair that was hanging down over it, and the weak light left everything behind her hair in solid darkness, as though her face were made of shadows. She knew…could feel…that the girl was awake, and watching her…waiting.

As Lucy got closer, she could see that this wasn't a girl after all, but a woman who looked to be about her own age. She stepped into the ring of red light that surrounded the enclosure and knew that the woman would be able to clearly see Lucy, and know her for what she was; her horns visible even in the low light. Lucy's steps became smaller and slower as she got nearer and began to make out some of the woman's facial features. She could see lips, nose, and the outline of her eyes, but could not actually see into them. The rest of her facial features were wrapped in darkness. She could feel the woman's eyes upon her; the uneasiness it caused made her legs feel heavy and her mind unclear. There was no fear, or even hopelessness that she could sense from the woman, although it was hard to read her at all in the dark. What she did sense, was a single minded intensity that she had never experienced before.

Lucy had the woman's full attention, which she found unnerving. Even knowing that she held her attention, she could not find her voice for several moments, the darkness on the woman's face, and the severity of her enclosure's security, seeming to demonize her; her surroundings and bonds projecting an implication of how dangerous the Institute considered her to be. Lucy knew better; they were all dangerous of course, but the bonds and the precautions were just a kind of psychological device that kept its scientists, security, and management in line and helping them to accept that the torture they inflicted upon the girls was justified. Monsters didn't have to be treated humanely, and the more they viewed those like her as monsters, the easier it was for them to do what they did…the bastards.

"That cage doesn't suit you," Lucy said, the old chill in her voice returning. It was the room, the atmosphere…it was causing her to wrap her cold persona around herself like a shield.

"Doesn't it?" the woman whispered back slowly, the sound of her voice making ice crawl down Lucy's spine. Suddenly it seemed like everything around her held nothing but impenetrable darkness, and the only things that existed were herself, and the woman in their faint, red circle of light. Lucy tried to get her voice back but couldn't make herself reply. She thought she saw the woman smile, but it was likely a trick of the light…or absence of it.

"You're not afraid of me," she whispered.

"No, I'm not," Lucy replied. The woman's head tilted somewhat, studying her, causing some of her hair to move away from one of her eyes. Lucy forced herself not to look away, even though what she saw there chilled her; after all, she had been no different when she was in this woman's position. She was trying very hard to remember that.

"But you _are_ afraid," she said softly, "you're trembling, anxious. Your eyes are darting this way and that, looking for escape. There is no escape from here…is there?"

"There is," Lucy insisted, unnerved that the woman could so easily pick up on her anxiety, and know exactly where it was coming from.

"No there isn't," she said, "when you walk out of hell, you take it with you. There is no leaving it behind, no forgetting it, no denying it."

She paused, her eyes traveling to Lucy's horns.

"What was your number?"

The question pierced through Lucy; she didn't want to talk about this here and now.

"I never knew mine. They named me instead."

"Like a dog…" she said in a slow raspy whisper, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Lucy bristled, but tried to force it back. She was here to help this woman.

"What about you? What was your number?" Lucy asked, unable to stop herself from the subtle jab. What was the matter with her?

"I don't have a number, I have a name. Just like you. My name is Angel."

Lucy detected a hint of reverence for the name as Angel spoke it aloud; the word carefully sounded out, each syllable meticulously enunciated.

"And what do I call you?" Angel asked, "you clearly aren't a test subject, and you are wearing street clothes. You broke in here, and went to a lot of trouble to visit me. You could at least tell me what they named you."

Lucy was starting to dislike the woman, mostly at the reminder that her name, which she had taken for herself, didn't really belong to her.

"They named me Lucy," she answered, hating that she was forced to phrase it in such a way, "but I decided I liked it. It suits me."

"And your real name? The one you had before?"

She did not want to answer that. Her old name belonged to a person she despised. It belonged to a person who brought nothing but misery.

"That name doesn't belong to me anymore…I've given it up."

"Because terrible things are attached to that name…aren't there?"

Lucy looked away from her, wanting to deny it…but could not.

"I know how you feel…Lucy."

Angel tilted her head back and the rest of her hair fell away from her face, reveling an exotic beauty to her features, but her facial expression was still cold and stoic.

"You have this name," she continued, "and whenever you think of how it sounds, or when you speak it out loud, you remember things you want to forget. This name, it mocks you. It puts the lie to your current existence. The person which that name once belonged to, is not you anymore, but you would not be who you are, or where you are, without that person. So you owe your life to that person and that name you want to forget. And you resent it…you hate it…hate yourself…don't you Lucy?"

Lucy couldn't deny the truth of Angel's words, and felt strangely comforted by her ability to empathize.

"I made a terrible mistake," Lucy said, "when they brought me here, I felt like I deserved this," she continued, motioning around the dark room, "it took a long time for me to see that I didn't. You don't either, despite what you may have done to wind up in here."

"I killed a lot of people. That's why I'm here…but you know that don't you? You must have done the same."

"I…"

"How did it feel?"

Images flashing through her mind; the sound of children bickering, the parental exasperation softened with love. Wrenching jealousy, anger, rage. The merciless noise of people treating her like street trash. Fury, vengeance, blood, screaming.

"It felt…"

"Felt good…didn't…it?"

She was ashamed of herself and couldn't reply. It didn't matter, she knew Angel had her answer already.

"But that's not why you hate your old name. Even now, you still hold those you destroyed in contempt. You're not really sorry you killed them. You didn't deny that you enjoyed the violence. Or even that there was violence to begin with…no…it was something else…someone you destroyed that you didn't want to destroy…"

"Shut up!" she couldn't stop herself…she had…how had she? Lucy couldn't think, she couldn't get control of her thoughts. Angel was reading her like a book, and Lucy did not like it one bit.

"It's not your fault Lucy…you know that, don't you?"

Lucy looked back up at Angel, who seemed to be regarding her with a measure of sympathy, all traces of mockery and amusement gone from her face and voice, vanished as though they had never existed.

"We are what we are Lucy. It is the world that has failed us. How could they dare to blame us for what we become under their clumsy care?"

Her words were seductive, and seemed to make a lot of sense…mostly, they helped assuage Lucy's prevailing guilt.

"You escaped from here," said Angel, "and something happened to you out there. You're different from the others of our kind that I have seen before. There is no desperation in you, and while there is conflict, I can see that there is peace. You found something out there worth holding onto…something that changed everything."

Kouta's love, his sanctuary, her second chance at life…

"Yes…I did."

Angel's scrutiny increased, as though she were trying to come to a decision about something, but was having difficulty doing so.

"Strange…" Angel whispered, but more to herself as Lucy could barely hear her, "something about you…I just can't…"

Angel seemed frustrated about something, then her facial expression reverted back into its impassiveness.

"You're different," she said again, with a tone of finality, "but yet you're like me."

Lucy thought she detected a hint of scorn, disbelief.

"You're here to set me free," she said.

"Yes," Lucy whispered, "I am."

Angel smiled, showing teeth, the sight of it making Lucy's blood run cold. She wondered for a moment if freeing Angel was such a good idea, but the thought left her as quickly as it came.

"You wish to set me free…but you yourself…are not free. How ironic."

"I'm not the one in chains."

"Yes you are, you just can't see them. I can show you…I can set you free."

Kaede still haunted her with every moment of fear she ever saw in Kouta's face when he looked on her after waking from sleep. The torture and loneliness she experienced in the institute haunted her waking thoughts and her dreams. She hated to admit it, but Angel was right. She was not free. The very fact that she had been drawn back to the Institute was proof enough. She couldn't escape Kaede, or the terror and misery that the Institute had left her with. This place didn't seem to touch Angel, and even though she was securely bound in her chains, she had an easy manner…she acted as though the chains did not really exist. She acted as though she were free. Even so, Lucy could see that she was still running from something. Perhaps Angel could not admit it to herself, but Lucy could see the mental shield. Maybe they could show one another how to cast off the chains that still bound them. The first part would be easy for Lucy as Angel's immediate chains were physical. Despite her other reservations, she still was resolute in her decision to free Angel from the grasp of the Institute.

"Maybe you can. Maybe we can help each other."

All of them, herself, Nana, even Mariko, had someone important to them. Someone that kept them going. It was the thing that bound them in their will to survive…maybe…

"There has to be someone out there you want to see again."

The enclosure shook violently with a sudden movement from Angel, and suddenness of it caused Lucy to take a step back in shock. Angel's hair fell back over her face, and painted it once again in shadows.

"You could say that," she whispered darkly, the voice barely human. Lucy had touched a nerve; up until this point she had not seen any real desire from Angel to be free of her bonds. She had treated the prospect of freedom with apathy, but for that short second, Lucy had seen something wild within Angel. Something screaming to get out, but then ruthlessly repressed.

The darkness of the room felt like it was closing around Lucy, she wanted to get out of there, but…

"You enjoyed the killing…didn't you?" Lucy asked her. She couldn't see Angel's face, but somehow she could sense her smiling.

"Yes…oh god yes…I liked the way a death rattle sounded like a lover purring in your ear…if you get close enough."

Lucy took a step away.

"Leaving already? I thought you were here to save me…typical. Lies, lies, and more lies. Hypocrisy and self deception, that is what defines you all. That is your legacy…who you really are."

"You're wrong."

"You think you're better than me, but I at least have been nothing but truthful with you. You don't get to be better than someone simply because you won't admit out loud that you're just like them. Tell me a story Lucy. Tell me about someone you destroyed…"

"Stop it…I…"

"You what? Didn't mean to? Didn't know better? You didn't deny it when I suggested that it felt good to kill…you knew something…that's for sure. You sure as hell weren't innocent. "

They stared at one another, but Lucy didn't take another step back. She felt guilty, conflicted, confused, unsure.

"What makes you any different from me? Why do you get to be the reformed, changed woman…and I the villain?"

Lucy could feel Angel's anger rising, her indignant anger making her seem to fume in the hellish red light. Lucy hated herself at that moment. Did she not come here after saying the same things to Kouta, that Angel was saying to her now? They were the same. Lucy had simply forgotten what it had been like to be living the pain and anguish that Angel surely must be living now.

"Leave me then _hero._ My life will be ending soon anyway. It makes no difference, one way or another, I will be free."

"What? They're going to kill you?"

"They kill us all in the end. You know that. It's simply my time now."

She couldn't let this happen, and Angel was right, they were no different. Lucy could show her a different kind of life, and show her that she could let go of her violent nature. This was why she had come, she could do this. Would do this.

"I'm not going to let that happen Angel."

"Then come closer, I'll show you what to do."

Lucy walked towards Angel until she was a few steps from her enclosure.

"Closer."

Lucy complied, until she was a mere two feet away. She could see Angel's face very clearly now, but the eyes were still in shadow.

"Closer…Lucy…"

The sound of her voice…it compelled her to comply. Angel's voice wasn't cold now, but seemed to be filled with a kind of longing. As Lucy got within inches of her, she could see into Angel's eyes, blood red even in the dim light. They locked onto Lucy and held her there, searching her face, studying her, taking in every detail.

"Reach behind my head; there are two buttons, and a third one covered with a metal guard on the small control panel to my right, at my feet. Pressing the buttons behind my head will deactivate the guard, but you have to hold your hands on the buttons. Use your vector to press the third switch."

"That will open the enclosure?"

"No, that will turn off the vector nullifier they have me plugged into."

"Then how do I get you out of this thing?"

"You won't. I will do that myself…after you leave."

"What? Why?"

"Because I have some unfinished business…" Angel said darkly, "and you don't need to be here when I finish it."

Lucy had an idea of what kind of "business" that would probably be. Maybe she wouldn't tear out of here in a violent rampage. It looked like Angel was probably going to do that for her. She almost pitied the inhabitants of the Institute. Lucy did as she had been instructed and reached behind Angel's head to the panel right behind it, pressing the buttons down. Her face was inches away from Angel's, which was something she wasn't conscious of, as she was concentrating on focusing her vector on the third switch. The button was flashing a bright red, and she saw large warning signs around the button. No going back now…she pressed the switch.

There was the sound of a faint whirring mechanical device starting to shut down, and then stopped completely. It was a bit anticlimactic, but then Lucy didn't really know what she'd expected.

She made to step back but then suddenly, violently, she felt Angel's vectors shoving against her back, forcing her against the enclosure. Once again, their faces were inches apart, and Lucy had to violently resist the urge to fight, after realizing that Angel wasn't exactly trying to be hostile. She was merely staring into Lucy's eyes again.

"Didn't want you to leave before I could say thank you…"

Angel reached her head forward slowly, and holding Lucy still, pressed her lips against Lucy's, kissing her in an slow, practiced, teasing fashion, sending shivers of pleasure up and down her body before she could think to force them out of her mind. She felt ashamed of herself for letting Angel do this, but it wasn't like she could do anything about it…

…no…she knew that wasn't true.

Lucy felt Angel's vectors release her, and Angel pulled back, giving her a wicked smile.

"…thank you Lucy."

Lucy took small, backward steps away, feeling trapped by Angel's gaze. What had she done? Was this right?

"After this…could I see you again? I want to know what you know. I want to see what made you different once you were free of this place," Angel said, and her voice seemed almost pleading. Lucy, still feeling responsible for Angel, even more so now that she had released her, couldn't refuse.

"Of course. My home is on the mainland, it's…"

"Don't worry Lucy. I'll find you."

Of course she could. After all, Lucy had tracked Angel down with her brainwave signature. Angel could do the same.

"Get out of here Lucy…"

She still felt frozen; she sensed the weight of a coming disaster, like watching a hurricane coming over the ocean and knowing that any minute, the storm would break in the sky above; falling down onto her…onto everything…

"…now."

She turned and started to walk quickly away towards the observation room, almost slamming her hand against the door release button. Passing through the door, she immediately felt better; the gentle light of the single florescent bulb making the room seem so much more welcoming compared to Angel's dark cell. When she got out into the hallway, the light seemed blinding, and once she reached the main hallway, not even caring to use caution in case there were people approaching, she was almost in full flight. The bright light of the hallway slammed into her like naked sunlight and she had to squint, covering her eyes against the stark glare.

It took her a few minutes to get control of herself and readjust to the light. It was fortunate that there had been no one in the hallway. It struck Lucy as somewhat odd; the absence of people, even at this hour. Bracing her forearm against the wall, she leaned her head against it and caught her breath. She knew she had done the right thing…hadn't she? She had to have faith, just like Kouta had faith in her.

Lucy had done what she'd come to do, now it was time to…

"What the fuck…security alert! Lock down the facility! There's an intruder, it's her…Lu…"

On instinct, Lucy fired her vectors out and hit the soldier hard, sending him flying, but not killing him. She briefly recognized his dress as a S.A.T uniform. Her instinct to attack with non lethal force, which had developed in the month she had wandered Kamakura, caused her to hold back. Under normal circumstances, she would have just ripped him in half without a thought. She knew the game was up, she had lingered too long and had been careless on her way out of the holding areas. It looked like she wasn't going to have a choice; she'd be fighting her way out. Just as she'd recognized the necessity to kill him before he put the entire facility on alert to the fact that she was a Diclonius, she heard gunfire coming from the direction she had flung the solider to. Raising her vectors to deflect the bullets, she let out a scream of pain and surprise when she was unable to deflect one of them far enough, and it slashed through her arm. A flesh wound thankfully but the pain was intense. Tungsten munitions; she wouldn't be able to stop those, and he was too far to kill. He was standing in between her and the ship launch; her only escape. She didn't have a choice, and started running in the other direction, hoping distance would make the bullets easier to deflect until she turned a corner to lose him.

It turned out her theory was correct but she still felt the bullets slam into her back like fists, bruising her even though they didn't pierce skin. Finally reaching a corner, she darted into it and kept running, seeing emergency lights flashing in the corridors. The facility was on alert, they would be looking for her now. She was turned around and lost as she ran, but she had to find some way to get back to the ship…

…what…the hell?

She came to a halt when she came across three dead bodies on the floor. They were facility guards, and it looked like they had been ripped to shreds by machine gun fire. Looking above her she took three frantic steps away as she noticed the gun turret hanging from the ceiling, and it took her a few moments to understand that it was deactivated, or out of ammo. What had triggered the turret? And why had it killed the guards? She saw a pair of unlocked handcuffs, and a broken device on the floor that looked strangely like a vector nullifier. Some bloody footprints led into one of the corridors, but the blood had dried up on the shoe after about ten or twelve steps. Still, it was a direction as good as any other and Lucy was lost anyway. Whoever this person was, they would likely be trying to escape, just like her. Her decision made, she started running down that corridor but had to dart into an office room as she heard soldiers coming down the hallway. As they passed, she heard some of them talking.

"Down this hallway?"

"Yeah, we've got a guard team that never reported in, but they're dispatching extra security to that. We're heading to the perimeter. Team 4 out there has been taking fire, and they think whoever is attacking us has got someone in the facility already. Team 2 is also reporting contacts. We're joining up with another unit to get… "

Lucy couldn't hear the rest of it as they got out of earshot. What the hell was going on here? Everything was going crazy all of a sudden. She absently backed up a few steps, lost in thought, bumping into a control panel. A lot of things happened at once; computer monitors sprang to life, the lights suddenly flickered on and she heard an audio log start replaying loudly on the panel speakers. The light and sudden noise shocked her into action and she didn't bother listening to what the words said as she bolted from the room before she was discovered by anyone within earshot.

She took off down the hallway, not sure where it was taking her but relying on luck. She hoped whoever she was following knew a way out of here.

_I promise you Kouta, nothing will keep me from coming back home to you. Nothing will stop that._

God help anyone who dared to stand in her way. She would not hold back again.


	11. No Escape

**Author's Note: **Trying to keep these to a minimum, but figured I'd mention my busier schedule (more busy than before) is going to make for slower updates (of course ^_^) but I'm always writing material, and have no intention of quitting. I'm mostly writing this as a thank you for all the new people who have subscribed and thus reviewed. It really inspires me to keep going, and I don't take it for granted.

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><p>Nana awoke with a dull ringing in her head.<p>

As hard as she tried, everything felt fuzzy, unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar. She couldn't get a sense of her surroundings and all her senses seemed to be lying to her, confusing her. She couldn't even focus on what her eyes were seeing, and for a few minutes as she remained still in her listlessness, she thought perhaps she was waking from a nightmare. Her head ached and she tried to comfort it with her hand, but for some reason she wasn't able to make her hand move over towards her head. She heard a metallic rattling and felt a growing fear rising within her, but didn't know why she was feeling it. It was like her consciousness was trying to catch up to the information her body was receiving about her environment. Suddenly, she felt a sharp stinging pain in her cheek…like someone slapping her…

…someone _had_ just slapped her. Her focus sharpened all at once.

"Rise and shine monster."

Nana then realized why her arm wouldn't move…why she couldn't move either of her arms. She was chained to a wall…just like she used to be a long time ago. Her synthetic arms and legs had been taken off of her, and the stumps of her arms were locked into a device that kept her against the steel wall she was secured against. The height of the arm restraints were meant for a person with legs, for she half hung, half balanced on her leg stumps. It was realizing this, that made her aware of a pain in her upper arms from hanging there unconscious. She found it difficult to get her breath, and she knew if she had not at least been partially braced by what was left of her legs, she would have suffocated in her sleep. She instinctively tried to call her vectors to break the chains but something was wrong. There was a block in her mind that prevented her from calling them. A signal that scrambled her brain constantly so that her mind couldn't concentrate on the specific effort to make them work. Lastly, she noticed that she was stripped naked.

"No…no…no no no!"

Nana started to panic, knowing where she was. Tears started to fall down her face at realizing her predicament but even more because of the absolute humiliation of being stripped naked, and chained to a wall for all to see her limbless, pathetic body, and being helpless to do anything about it. Not again, she couldn't go back to this. She had finally known the happiness of being free…she couldn't do this again, she just couldn't…

_Kouta…Yuka…Mayu…_

…_and…Lucy…please don't take them away from me…please please please!_

"Theeeere you go. You know what's happening now, don't you?"

She looked up and saw that man…with the ice white hair, leering down at her, a smug smirk on his face.

"I bet right about now, you're trying like hell to use those disease ridden hands of yours to break out. I bet it's all you can think about. Probably making you desperate that it's not working isn't it?"

"Please! Let me go! I didn't hurt anyone! I'd never hurt anyone! I'm a good girl!"

The man exploded into motion and slapped her harder than the last time; she tasted blood in her mouth.

"Don't you lie to me you filthy little bitch! You think I'm fuckin stupid? I know about your kind. I've seen what you do. What you ALL do. Don't go thinking your innocent routine is going to work on me. I've put bullets in sweeter faces than yours, and frankly, I think I'd be doing you a favor if I blew you away…fuckin look at you," he said with a chuckle, "you're a crippled misfit. Absolutely everything about you is useless."

His words went straight into her heart like a knife. She wanted to cover herself and hide, but she couldn't, and every time she tried to move, she wobbled and slipped around trying to keep herself upright. The man just laughed at her when she started to cry as she struggled to remain upright.

"It's like watching a retard trying to dance…shit's so fuckin great," he said between bouts of laughter, "you all deserve this you know that?"

"Why! Why are you doing this to me!"

"This right now? For fun…and it's satisfying to watch you butchers suffer like you make others suffer. But I'm here right now because I'd like to have a talk with you. I have to make my report to the commander shortly, but before I do, I'd like a few things cleared up. I thought about starting with that girl you were with, but I didn't want to miss my chance at some alone time with you. Brass generally expects you to have been roughed up anyway during your capture. I'm a bit disappointed that you went down so easily, but that's ok. I'm sure you'll dislike me enough to make this interrogation difficult. I hope you do, because it'll give me an excuse to put some bruises on you…couldn't wait to get back here with you."

She was horrified at his admission of cruelty, and even more horrified because she knew she was helpless to stop him once he started. She knew no matter what she said or did, he would find a reason to hurt her…and the look in his eyes told her that she was going to feel so much pain…

"The first thing I want to know…is where you've been harboring Lucy. She's supposed to be dead, but you girls were talking like she was still alive, and that you knew where she was."

She hated herself that he had overheard. They'd all know now that Lucy was alive, and so they'd go hunting again. They'd find her…and Kouta…and Yuka. She couldn't betray them. The beast in front of her may know that Lucy was still alive, but it would not be Nana that led them to her. With all her heart, she had wanted to remain a good girl for papa and not fight with people. Why did these people make it so hard for her to keep her promise? Was it never meant to be kept?

She turned a defiant gaze on the man, and imagined how Lucy would have faced him, drawing her strength from Lucy's will. People were always hurting her…abusing her…making her sad and scared…she was sick of it…sick of not fighting back. If no one was going to let her be a good girl…

…then she was going to break her promise.

"Going to talk monster?"

Nana lifted herself up as much as her strength would allow her, and she spat in his face.

"You can go to hell! Why don't you find her yourself? Or maybe I should tell you. I'd like nothing better than for you to meet Lucy in a dark alley."

The man smiled.

"Me too."

He reached his fist back, and slammed it against her face, making the back of her head slam against the metal, causing Nana to see stars. He then aimed a second one at her stomach, tearing a grunt from her and making her swing on her chains. She wasn't sure when the punches ended, or if they did. The only thing she felt, besides tremendous pain and suffering, was grim satisfaction that she didn't give in.

After some time, the blows stopped, but she still felt the pain like she was still being hit. She started to cry, and every sob that shook her body, brought with it a new wave of agony. She felt something twisting inside of her along with a roaring flame of anger, the likes of which she had never felt before in her life. She wanted to hurt him like he was hurting her, but she was completely helpless, and her arms hurt from hanging limply from the chains. She wondered if she would ever be able to use her arms properly again.

"Make this easy on yourself monster. Just tell me where Lucy is. Please believe me when I say I will never get tired of hurting you."

Nana spat out a mouthful of blood. She supposed he was thinking that his abuse would break her. It was too late for that. Once you withstood an entire day of being torn apart in the sphere launcher room, things like fists were pretty minor. It wasn't the pain that scared her, but rather the hostility and her own humiliating situation. She tried not to let him know that his wanton cruelty scared her. She knew if he figured out what really scared her, that he would use it to dig all the way down into the center of her, and rip it out.

"I'm not…going to ask anymore…why you're doing this to me. I know you don't care if I tell you where Lucy is."

Nana raised her eyes to the man, and she felt herself slipping into that person she became ever so briefly when she fought Bando on that beach…so unfamiliar…so…

"I'm not…going to beg…you to stop…" she continued through ragged, pain filled breaths, keeping her gaze locked on his, hate burning inside of her.

"But I will…remember…every bruise…and drop…of blood…you take…from…me."

"I'm glad you have such a good memory for things like that. But I'd suggest you use it to…"

"And when I…get free…"

Nana surged against the chains, a fierce look in her eyes, and felt satisfaction when she saw him take a step back reflexively.

"I'm going…to make you…give it…all…back."

She watched a storm of emotion play behind his eyes, and realized that he was afraid. She didn't have any time to savor that triumphant revelation, for as soon as she had noticed that fear, it vanished behind a haze of anger. He surged forward again and grabbed her throat, squeezing hard. She tried to struggle against his hand as he choked her, but he was too strong.

"Bitch…you're gonna fuckin die."

"Please…" she gurgled out before she could stop herself. Her renewed fear had washed away the momentary bravery that anger had supplied her with. Once again, she was just a little girl alone in the dark with a man who was going to hurt her savagely. And there was nothing she could do to stop him.

"Yeah…that's it, I like that. Beg some more."

He grabbed a fistful of her hair, then started slapping and punching her face and chest. It didn't take long for her to start screaming.

* * *

><p>"…but up to now…I've had nothing but my work. It was the thing that made me feel like I was worth something. Like I was a part of the world and not just passing through. Before I knew it, I missed all my chances to have anything normal in life. I regret not trying to live."<p>

Arakawa wiped at her eyes as she poured her heart out to Ryota. She had never been able to express her feelings with anyone in her entire life. She kept needing to remind herself that this man was going to kill her as soon as her story was over. Ryota had been right, and she did discover that she had a lot more to talk about than she'd always imagined, but it was still over too soon. His own story had been long, and full of pain. He talked at length about the woman…Rika…for whom he had once loved, and devoted his entire being, so long ago. He told Arakawa how Rika had died in his arms, and her son left to his care. He had never mentioned her son's name, but only told her that he had failed the boy and let him wander away. Regret colored his tired voice.

She listened to what Ryota had gone through in the intervening years; the empty battles and the empty home. Night after night of turning to alcohol to drown his sorrows, waking up almost daily with hangovers. He spoke of his yearly visits to Rika's grave, and his fruitless attempts to find meaning in his own existence; feeling that his reason for living died with Rika, and the departure of her son. His voice had held a note of acceptance rather than resignation, but she could still see the pain in his eyes; as though he were digging up Rika's grave. She had wanted to comfort him, and almost did when she remembered the gun at his hip and that she was supposed to take it at the first opportunity. She didn't want it to be over so soon. She wasn't even as afraid of dying as much as she simply wanted more time with Ryota to make the most of the feeling that was starting to develop inside of her. Something she had never felt before in her life.

"It's a sin…" he remarked sadly.

"What?"

"It's a sin that human beings should only understand the joys of life as their own lives are coming to an end. It's a cruel joke that we are made this way."

Ryota closed his eyes and lifted his face as the breeze picked up, and sighed into the wind.

"I confess I'm looking forward to my own end. It's the only way I'll ever remember why life was beautiful."

She sensed a crushing weight on his soul. She wondered if he had ever talked to anyone of these things.

"Don't talk like that…" Arakawa said quietly.

"It's only the trut…"

"I said stop it Ryota!"

She didn't want to hear anymore. His words struck a chord in her heart that brought the pain of loneliness back. He had been just as alone as she herself had been. She knew what that sounded like in a person's voice and knew how it felt in their hearts. She remembered how she felt merely talking into the radio. She had been so consumed with her work that loneliness and desolation had crept upon her without her notice. She had only been conscious of it for a matter of months. Ryota had been living it for half of his life. Watching him, hearing him…feeling his heart…it was like she bled with him when he cut himself with talk of his own death. She was suddenly, and irrationaly, angry with him. How could he do this to himself? All she wanted was a chance at life...and this man had knowingly thrown it away for years without number.

"Why don't you come with me then?" Arakawa said angrily, "if life has no joy…"

"What…"

He stirred then, suddenly remembering his unguarded weapon. Her time was up. She had to act now. With a rapid, deft movement, she yanked the pistol from Ryota's holster and took three frantic steps away from him, nearly tripping in the sand, holding him at gunpoint. She reasoned that he was probably quick enough to dodge a bullet fired under normal circumstances, especially considering she had never really handled a gun, but they were standing on sand and he would not get adequate traction to do so now. They faced each other for a few moments and Arakawa's mind raced. She hadn't really thought this part out. She had the gun and was safe for the moment, but she had no idea how she was going to escape a facility crawling with trained guards and special forces. She knew she should probably start grilling Ryota on how to escape.

"How do you feel now Ryota?" she said angrily, "remembering anything yet?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. I just remembered that that gun is loaded with hollow point rounds. Do you know what those do?"

"They kill you, the same as any other bullet."

"But these bullets are special. They're designed to tear apart the insides of a human being. They use rounds like these on firearms in aircraft you know. To prevent bullet penetration from perhaps going through a body and piercing the hull. When it strikes a target, the bullet peels back, expanding its diameter, and proceeds to rip the innards to shreds. Some bullets wind up breaking apart slightly in the human body as the bullet enters it, flinging metal like tiny razorblades into a person's vital organs, or major veins. The pain is said to be intolerably excruciating."

Ryota took a casual step forward. Arakawa took a frantic step back, her hands shaking.

"Well Akane? Aren't you going to shoot me? Surely you know what will happen when I close the distance between us."

"Shut up!" She took another step back. She couldn't do it…she just couldn't…she knew she'd never pull off a headshot, so she'd have to shoot him in the body…grinding up his insides with…

"The safety's on Akane. It's the small switch right above the trigger. You want to flip that until you see red."

Shit!

She took another hasty couple of steps back and with shaking hands, fumbled with the safety mechanism, looking away from Ryota for a moment when she couldn't find it. When she trained her gaze back on him, she noticed that he was nearly within arm's length. She screamed and fell backwards as he grabbed for the gun and missed. Lying on the ground, she trained the gun on him again. Her legs all the way up to her thighs suddenly experienced a rush of cold as she realized the fall had made her skirt climb up above her knees and slide back to her waist, exposing herself. Modesty, however, was far from her mind as she lay still, her panic beginning to get her past the aversion to shooting him.

Ryota sighed, "nothing…still nothing. How utterly disappointing."

He looked away from her and she saw it as her chance to get back on her feet. She did so frantically, getting clumsily to her feet in order to keep the gun pointed at Ryota. Only after she smoothed her skirt down with one hand did Ryota once again turn to face her.

"Now…Akane…this is your chance. It is the only one you are ever going to have to take me down. If you do not, I am going to pursue you…and I will capture you."

"Please just let me go! That's all I ever wanted! I just want to get away from here!"

"We can't just run from our demons. They run faster. Nor can we elude them…they know all our favorite hiding places."

"Who are you to say that to me! What do you think you're doing huh!"

"I'm not running. Or hiding."

"No, you're doing something even worse. You're cowering!"

Ryota took a step back and for a moment, Arakawa wondered if she had actually shot him, and just hadn't heard the sound of the bullet. Ryota looked stricken as though she _had _shot him.

"How many years did YOU throw away Ryota! As many as I did? More?"

It was insanity to be talking about this right now. She had to escape, had to get out…but…

"You haven't even given life a chance! You're still stuck in that kitchen where Rika died! You're still living in that empty house with that bottle in your hand!"

"Akane…stop…"

"Open your eyes Ryota! You don't need death to make you see what's beautiful about life. I'm going to fight for mine, even if I have no chance of getting out of here alive. Fight for yours…"

She felt emotion welling up in her as she spoke the words to Ryota. She could see that they affected him too. He made no more attempts to close the distance between them, and merely stared at her.

"You think there's never enough time to say or do the things we need to…" Arakawa said, her voice cracking with emotion, "…well then make time."

Ryota seemed to be in a trance and softly repeated Arakawa's words, "…make time".

After another few seconds of silence, Arakawa heard Ryota's radio spring to life. It was a general communication channel for the special forces units to communicate to all of its members in the local vicinity.

"Squad 4 reporting in, requesting backup at the landing area. Got an unidentified intruder and we took some heavy fire. Don't know how many of em there are but we've got two down and another in pretty bad shape."

Another voice answered the first.

"Copy that Squad 4, this is Squad 2. We've got contact at the armory…looks like your intruders slipped past you. Think it's us that need that backup."

"Shit…10-4 Squad 2. Diverting some guys from the landing to assist. For fuck's sake don't let whoever they are get in that armory."

"A bit late for that...might want to pick up some guys on your way over here. I just heard a fucking auto shotgun going off. That's not standard S.A.T loadout for perimeter defense."

The rest was jumbled in a haze of static as Ryota reached for his radio.

"Looks like you've got problems of your own," she said with a grin.

"Looks that way," he said calmly, "I suppose I'll need to see about this."

He turned to walk away but then stopped and half turned back towards Arakawa.

"Good luck to you. If we meet again tonight, I will shoot you on sight…oh…and one more thing."

He turned to look her in the eyes. "My men were just recently ordered to take former Director Kakuzawa into custody. You were talking at the time the order went out on the radio, and I didn't want to interrupt you. Interestingly enough, we were instructed to place him within the Diclonius holding areas rather than our cell block. You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"

He turned his back on her.

"Pull back on the slide…it won't fire unless there's a bullet in the chamber."

He walked away from her, retrieving his radio, and began issuing commands that she could not hear. She remained still, stunned. He knew there was no bullet in the chamber…he could have taken her at any time.

She didn't wait around to discern his quizzical motives. Roughly pulling back on the slide, she turned and ran the length of the beach, knowing that if she kept moving in that direction, she'd reach the landing. If the voices on the radio spoke true, then there would be decreased security at the docks. It wasn't much, but it was her best chance to escape.

_We were instructed to place him within the Diclonius holding areas…_

Or…

* * *

><p>Still seething, Ghost stalked the hallways. How <em>dare<em> that monster threaten him! She deserved every moment of what he had done to her. Some of the violence he could not even remember as it came to him in flashbacks; the soundtrack consisting of incomprehensible invectives over agonizing screams of pain. The memories filled him with righteousness. He had found himself back out in the hallway before he really realized it…and frankly couldn't remember if he had killed that creature in there or not. The way she was bleeding…he was pretty sure she was dead. If she wasn't, she'd be dead soon just from blood loss. Not his problem.

If she had not been the creature she was, he would have raped her. He would have done it until she died from it. Even knowing what she was, the urge to brutalize her was nearly stronger than his fear of being infected. He wasn't sure exactly if screwing one of those demons was enough to poison the blood, but he didn't really want to find out. It was enough that his hands were soaked in her blood. He had decided not to wash them as he walked to the other girl's cell. He wanted her to see the blood on his hands and be terrified. It would make the interrogation much easier. He would have loved nothing more at this moment than to have some concrete information on how he could find Bando. He was going to get that information one way or the fucking other. And if she made it difficult…with the fury still surging through him…

…well…this one was just human, therefore no risk of infection. How unfortunate for her.

He stepped into a room with a single florescent blub, casting light which darkened at the edges of the room. The room was sparse, having only a table, and two chairs. The other girl was there, awake now. That was good. She had time to sit alone, pondering her situation, and working up a healthy dread. He didn't really want the interrogation with this one to be difficult. He couldn't have given a damn about Lucy really. THIS was what he was really interested in; saving the best for last.

She visually recoiled as he walked into the room…and she hadn't even seen his hands yet…good.

"How's the lip?" he said to her with a chuckle, staring at the blood that had dried on her chin during her capture.

"What did you do with Nana! Where's Nana!"

"Is that her name? Good to know. Anyway, as for 'Nana'…I brought her with me."

He held his hands up to the light, still partially wet with fresh blood. Two drops fell to the table; Ghost smirked.

"Oh my…oh my god…oh my god _what did you do to her!_"

"I'd be less worried about that, and more worried about what's going to happen to you."

"Oh Nana…please be ok…please be ok!"

The girl started crying and struggling against the handcuffs that held her securely to the floor bolted chair. Ghost reached out and snatched the girl's chin in his hand, smearing blood all over her face.

"Shut…the fuck up."

"How could you! How could you hurt her like that! She never did anything to anyone!"

"Have you seen her kill?"

"What? Nana would never hurt anyone!"

"Really? So that toe tag I've got downstairs didn't happen? Nana didn't splatter him all over a wall with a public trash container? Oh I get it. It was dark right? Couldn't see?"

"She wouldn't!"

"She DID you stupid shit! This," he held up his hands, "was payback for the guy I lost…a damn fine soldier and a good man that your monster friend turned into a mangled heap. His family can't even have an open casket funeral."

"No…you're lying…"

"I can see it in your eyes girl…you know I'm telling the truth."

Ghost let it sink in, and watched the girl's face transform from disbelief, to anguish. She cried silently with eyes wide and stricken. He knew that would do the trick. In truth, he didn't even know the dead man's name. Ghost was pretty sure he at least had a wife…or maybe he didn't, he couldn't really remember at the moment.

"Tell you what…what's your name?"

"M…Mayu," she said, her voice trembling, tears streaming down her face.

"Tell you what Mayu. I need your help with something. If you help me, I'll release you. You'll be given a sedative and blindfolded, then dropped off in a random part of the city. You understand if we don't just deliver you straight home. We hadn't really planned on picking you up anyway. Just protocol."

She nodded blankly.

"I'm looking for a few people. Really bad guys that need to be brought in. One of them I think has taken advantage of you. Guy's name is Bando. I know you know him."

He saw her eyes flash with fear, but then something…fierce…protective. She visibly closed herself off from him. That was fine. He'd try it the easy way first, and when she resisted…playtime.

"I don't know what Bando told you Mayu, but he used to work with us. He's done the same things I've done to Diclonius like your friend Nana. He's done even worse things than that. Killed children…innocents. We've been looking for him for quite some time now. His murderous rampages just got out of control. He killed a doctor who had just finished saving his life and giving him cybernetic replacements for his missing body parts. You may not like me, but trust me Mayu…this guy's worse."

Nothing, the girl wouldn't even look at him.

"You don't know what you're getting into with him. He's dangerous. He belongs in a cell to answer for his many crimes. You owe it to his victims to turn him over to us. They deserve justice."

He could see the internal conflict within her…unfortunately, it seemed that regardless, her heels were dug in. She wasn't going to tell him anything…

…yet

"Alright, if you're not ready to talk about that, perhaps you can tell me about Lucy? I already got it out of that butcher friend of yours that she was living with you."

"She…she said that?"

She hadn't of course, but the ruse worked. He could see it in her face…he nailed it.

"There's no use denying that you were harboring Lucy. Let me tell you, the crimes of Bando and your monster friend in the other cell pale in comparison to what Lucy has done. There are literally hundreds of dead bodies to her name. She's been rouge for over a year and there's no telling what kind of death she's been causing since then. If not Bando, we absolutely must get that one off the streets. Even now she could be tearing someone apart. Mayu…do the right thing here. Lives depend on you right now."

As he spoke, he noticed her staring at his bloody hands.

"So what's it going to be?"

She looked up at him, misery in her eyes.

"Am I evil too?"

"What's that?"

"I love Nana…Lucy…and Bando…am I evil because I want to protect them?"

Ghost forced a comforting smile on his face. At least he hoped it would appear comforting.

"Of course not…you're just a kid. You didn't know about these monsters and they got you all twisted up in their lies. But everything's going to be fine now. We know how to handle them, and we can put a stop to their evil. All you have to do is point me in evil's direction, and I will stamp it out. You have my word on that…Mayu."

She seemed to be resigning herself…good…good. She cried a few more tears and then ruthlessly collected herself to level a steady, albeit watery, gaze upon him.

"Ok…"

"Good girl Mayu. Where do I find the evil bastard?"

"He's in the room with me…some sick animal who's got my best friend's blood all over his hands and thinks I'm stupid enough to believe he's a hero."

He cruelly grabbed fistfuls of Mayu's shirt and shoved her painfully against the chair, rage flashing in his eyes.

"Couldn't do it the easy way could you? Just want to keep protecting those animals huh? Helping them kill? An accomplice to slaughter? You want to know what I do to those predators!"

He grabbed a key off of his belt and unhooked one of the cuffs, lifting her up, and slamming her face down on the table, pushing his crotch against her backside.

"NOOOOOO!" she screamed desperately.

"You know what? I don't think you have a visceral understanding of what it means to be helpless in the face of violence you can't fight back against. Maybe when I'm finished with you, you'll understand a little about what those people went through before they died."

"HELP ME! PLEASE GOD SOMEONE HELP ME!"

"You know, I think I like you more than Nana. You beg so much better."

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled hard, while crushing her shoulder with his other hand, making Mayu scream louder than ever before. She drew back another breath, screaming again as she sobbed.

"Oh yeah…I'm gonna…"

The radio at his hip suddenly came to life.

"Sergeant Rin…this is Commander Ryota. Report in."

Fuck…of course he would call now. He put a hand over Mayu's mouth as he retrieved the radio.

"This is Ghost, go ahead sir."

"Have the captives provided anything useful sergeant?"

"I'm working on it commander."

"Well I need you to put that on hold for the moment. We have a situation at the perimeter, possible breach. And I just tried raising a guard team inside to report in, but there's no response. I've diverted a squad to search the area, but I want you on this personally. Something's fishy about this…there's no way the intruders could have gotten far enough inside yet to have taken out the guard team, if that is indeed what has happened to them."

"Possible infiltrator? Perhaps the commotion outside was just a distraction."

"My thinking precisely, but an infiltrator suggests an objective of sabotage or information theft. I don't have to tell you how catastrophic that would be if either of those things occurred here. The missing squad would have been in your area. They were escorting former Director Kakuzawa to a cell in the containment facilities."

"Former Director Kakuzawa? What the hell happened here sir?"

"I'll debrief you when the situation's under control. Get down there and find out what happened. Don't alert the facility unless you make contact with any intruder. No reason to know we're already hunting."

"Copy that sir…I'll find the bastard. I won't disappoint you."

"I know you won't Katsuo. Watch your back."

"10-4, Ghost out."

He looked down at the girl again, who was trembling violently, terror in her eyes. Perhaps this was a good thing. She had gotten a taste of what was to come if she was uncooperative, and she would have plenty of time to think about that while he was taking care of this business with the missing guard team. He needed to get to work. Ryota had radioed him personally; he had to take this seriously.

Hastily, he grabbed her wrist which still had the handcuffs on it, and latched it to the table leg, which was bolted to the floor as well.

"Don't get too comfortable down there, I'll be back soon. For your sake, you'd best have some better answers to my questions."

She didn't look up at him or answer, but sank to the floor. She continued to tremble, gazing off in a random direction with unseeing eyes. He left the room and locked it behind him, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He really hadn't expected resistance from the girl, or the Diclonius either for that matter. Most of the young test subjects he had executed or extracted information out of had been rather weak willed for vicious murderers. Just one of those strange ironies of life.

Walking across the hall, he stepped into a restroom and walked to the sink. Washing the blood off of his hands he looked up to see himself in the mirror. He could see flecks of blood on his cheeks and forehead, and merely stared at them as the water ran over his hands. It brought back too many terrible memories, when he was just little Katsuo in the middle of a burning rural town. By some wretched twist of fate, a handful of Diclonius came of age there over the course of a month. No one had any idea what they were dealing with, and no one knew what started the violence, but once it started, it swept through every corner of his home. His days and nights were filled with blood soaked corpses, screaming victims, and roaring fires from the fruitless attempts to slow the monsters down. It was ever after referred to as The Outbreak, and Ghost had found that fitting, being the result of diseased monsters. As far as he knew, he had been the only survivor; running and hiding from the creatures that played in the ghost town day and night as if they had not just slaughtered every man, woman, and child. He hadn't been sure how many of the creatures there were, and to his young mind, they might as well have been as numerous as all the imagined legions of things that ever went bump in the night. Escape was impossible.

He had also survived because he could see those serpent's fangs coiling out from them like modern day Gorgons. He was able to stay out of their reach and survived for just over a week, slipping on blood, crawling over corpses, scavenging for whatever he could find while staying out of sight. He had been near dead when He appeared…

Katsuo had seen him like an avenging angel in the midst of a curtain of fire and smoke, the breeze gently tossing his long dark hair. Two pistols were gripped tightly in his hands, his body tensed and coiled like a wild predator, preparing to strike as he held one gun in the air and began to fire. The sound of the gunfire was powerful and mesmerizing, filling young Katsuo with adrenaline. When the man had run out of bullets, he brought his arm down smoothly, releasing the empty magazine and slamming in a fresh one, then stood there. Little by little, the monsters began to slither out of the darkness of the ruined buildings. Katsuo had wanted to shout at the lone man, and warn him of what was going to happen to him, but he was afraid, and could not make his voice work. Katsuo instead watched him, drawing strength from his indomitable form. As they had come, laughing with their wretched, childlike voices, the man exploded into motion. With precision and speed he began firing his weapons at random spots surrounding the approaching children and he saw the creatures deflecting the bullets. The man seemed to anticipate where they would concentrate their defenses, using two or three shots to distract, and the forth always struck home, splattering their brains or punching ghastly holes in their small bodies.

Some of the children that got near him suddenly erupted in flames that seemed to rise at their feet in a hellish explosion, as if the devil were calling them home. Ghost had later understood them to have been napalm traps.

The creatures seemed to understand, after over half of them died, that they were in mortal danger of this Archangel with flaming swords of lead and steel. They had tried to run, but they could not…his judgment finding them with the flash of a gun barrel. And then…it was over. The dead avenged, and the echoes of the cleansing gunfire fading into the countryside.

Katsuo had not remembered leaving his shelter to stand in the ruined town square, but there he was, standing in the presence of the warrior who had ended The Outbreak single-handedly. He had turned to regard Katsuo at that moment, his movements slow and deliberate. He could see a sadness in those hard eyes that went all the way through to the soul.

"All dead?" he asked simply. Kutsuo had nodded, tears in his eyes at remembering how they had torn through his home and murdered his family. Watching this man though, he wiped his eyes ruthlessly and forced down his grief. How could he dare show such weakness in the face of the warrior? He remembered how his strength and skill had made Katsuo feel powerful just watching him smite the monsters in his path.

"I'll be ok…I can get by on my own," Katsuo had said, trying to appear brave. It wasn't all feigned, after all, he did survive in that hell alone for all that time. His words seemed to have a profound effect on his rescuer, who looked away, guilt staining his eyes.

"Not again…" he whispered, more to himself, "won't turn my back again."

"I want to know how you did that…" Katsuo had said, interrupting the man, "I want to be strong like that…I don't want to be afraid of monsters anymore."

"Everyone, the brave and cowardly alike, has a monster they fear," he said, "and it doesn't care if you're afraid."

He wasn't sure what the man was talking about, and just wrote it off.

"Come on kid…this place is a ghost town. It is not for the living to dwell with the dead."

A ghost town…and he was one of its Ghosts.

"What's your name?" Katsuo had asked.

"I am Ryota…"

His eyes snapped back into focus as he threw water onto his face, washing away the blood, and the portal to his memories. He couldn't waste anymore time, Ryota was counting on him. He had to sort this thing out, and then finish his interrogation of the two girls. He would return to Ryota in glory, having tracked down the long lost, wayward test subject Lucy. He would also bring down Bando…the so called "top agent" who had disgraced himself so completely. He, Ghost, would settle that score once and for all. He was the one who deserved to succeed Ryota; his every waking moment being devoted to shaping himself into a weapon that monsters would fear.

Filled with righteous pride, he walked out of the restroom, unfastening the guard around the pistol he wore on his belt. Passing by the Diclonius containment area he turned his head to look down one of the hallways, looking for signs of the missing guard team. Passing it, he turned back straight ahead…

"What the fuck!" he shouted in disbelief, his body momentarily frozen in shock…what he was seeing couldn't be real.

It was her…Lucy…the rouge Diclonius. Right there in front of him plain as day. He'd seen the pictures enough times, read her bio…he just…couldn't…believe it. He violently ripped his radio from the belt.

"Security alert! Lock down the facility! There's an intruder…it's her…Lu…"

He saw the vectors lash out, but he was still in shock and the attack came so fast he could not react. For a fraction of a second, he saw his life flash before his eyes as death was only a millisecond away. With a blow that felt like four sledgehammers slamming into him all at once, he was lifted off of his feet by the blunt strike, and carried down the hall, landing hard.

"Fuck!" he shouted as he ripped his pistol out of the holster. He saw her standing there like she was contemplating something. Stupid bitch…

He started firing at her, expecting her to try and deflect the tungsten bullets like a fool. She wouldn't even have time to feel surprised when they punched through her vectors and painted the walls with her brain matter. To his shock, he saw her do exactly that, pushing away two before the third grazed her arm, making her cry out in pain. The sound emboldened him and he stood up to get a better aim, but she was already running down the hall like a coward.

_That's right monster…ready or not…here I come._

He took aim as he walked and started shooting. He noticed her jerky movements as the bullets hammered into her back, but they were just not piercing skin. He dropped to one knee and took careful aim, going for the headshot. Even if she slowed this one down, it would still drop her long enough for him to reload, close the distance, and finish her. It could even knock her out, which would actually be even better.

She was just about to turn the corner, but it was too late. He had her and his bullet would fly straight. He always kept up with his weapon's maintenance. She was finished…

He pulled the trigger…and heard the click.

Lucy rounded the corner and disappeared.

"FUCK FUCK FUCK GODDAMNIT MOTHERFUCKER!"

He released the empty magazine, and threw it violently against the wall. He could chase her, but by the time he got around the corner, he'd lose her again. It didn't matter though and he wouldn't need to waste his time and energy running around chasing her. The direction she was going wouldn't lead her to any exits. In fact, she was actually about to run headlong into even more concentrated security. If she was stupid enough to stumble into Alpha Sector, she'd be shot down before she could turn around to run the other way. What he could do in the meantime, was finish his alert. Retrieving his radio, he set it to the general frequency.

"This is Sergeant Rin of Ghost Squad. All units and security forces please be advised, we have a perimeter breach in the Institute sublevels. The intruder has been identified as the rouge Diclonius Queen Lucy. All security and S.A.T personnel switch to tungsten munitions…"

He thought about Kakuzawa's order to bring the Diclonius creatures back alive…

…well he was just arrested. Guess that made all previous orders null and void…

"Any squads encountering Lucy are hereby ordered to shoot on sight. I repeat, shoot to kill."

He didn't think Ryota would object. After all, Ryota had been the one that dispatched the S.A.T reinforcements a year ago that were supposed to return with Lucy's corpse, and instead had been annihilated. They all were dying for payback.

"This is Commander Ryota," the voice barked from the radio…could he have been wrong? Was Ryota about to countermand his order?

"All members of Ghost Squad, detach from your units and assemble at the executive offices. The security situation is getting out of control, priority number one is the evacuation of the VIPs. I repeat, Ghost Squad, report to the executive offices and assist in the evacuation of the board of directors."

Good…get the blue bloods out of the way so he could hunt without restraints. In truth, he wanted to disobey that order and start hunting now, but with the facility on alert, all the ways off the island would be locked down. There was no escape…Lucy wasn't going anywhere except in a body bag.

"Copy that commander, we'll be there. Ghost Squad! Get your shit wired and let's go!"

He put away the radio and reloaded his pistol. As he started walking he noticed the test subject enclosure hallway door was open. Stopping for a moment he saw a flashing red light blinking above one of the doors in the poorly lit hallway, which he knew meant there was a malfunction in the chamber's restraining capsule…

…no time to worry about that. Besides, as far as he knew, there wasn't anyone in there. They were taking Kakuzawa there right? But he never made it. Probably just got left unlocked expecting him to be there soon and it never got locked back up. As the distant alarm began to sound, and he walked away, he swore he heard what sounded like glass shattering somewhere down that dark hallway…


	12. A Reason to Kill

She had the feeling that there wasn't a way out in this direction.

Lucy surveyed a scene of dead security guards, the sight resembling the dead guards from earlier. Just like the last scene she had come across, there was an inactive gun turret hanging from the ceiling, and shell casings from that gun all over the floor reflecting golden light in a sea of blood. All the guards had been armed, but it didn't look like any of them had fired their weapons. Some of them still had weapons in holsters. The scene was all the more ominous as the guards had been stationed at a massive bulkhead door with multiple "authorized personal only" warnings around it. Lucy had been running through the corridors for quite a while but she had not encountered any more security patrols, which was strange in and of itself, but here there were a large group of them, fifteen strong, at this door. What were they guarding? Whoever she was pursuing had come this way, and through these men, leaving the bulkhead wide open. The security station beyond was vacant. Lucy knew there was no escape this way…she knew she should turn around and leave this behind…

She began to slowly walk over the corpses, hearing the wail of the alarm as a distant clamor in her ears. As she passed the bodies and became surrounded by death, she felt a strange sense of familiarity coming over her. When she stepped in blood, the sounds resembled whispers in her mind and the echoes of her steps were like faint mocking laughter. Something was drawing her deeper within the belly of this beast.

Upon reaching the guard station at the other end of the hallway, she found it was not unoccupied. The controller room for the second bulkhead was located at an elevated area off to the right side wall, which could be viewed though a glass window. Now that glass was cracked from bullet holes passing through it, and was painted with blood; the attack having clearly come from inside. The second bulkhead was also open, and beyond it, the lights were not as bright. There was a sense of quiet from within, as if it had already been evacuated. Clenching her fists to relieve her tension, she stepped through the second door, and into the dimly lit area beyond.

The large room within seemed to be a research and development laboratory, with equipment located haphazardly around the room that were being used for various projects. Lucy could not have begun to guess at their purposes. Feeling unconcerned about being discovered, Lucy moved further into the center of the large room; the silence that was pressing in on her seemed to be evidence enough of the absence of people. Looking around the room, Lucy felt like she was bearing witness to a gallery of horrors as she started to recognize some of the devices.

The Institute was created solely to study, research, and subdue Diclonius like her. Everything they were working on, would have been geared towards that end in some way or another. In one area was a bisected sphere launcher; the robotic arms working on its circuitry were paused in mid-task as though their power source had been abruptly shut off. The launcher didn't look like something she had seen before. It looked like they were attaching…ordnance…to it. She saw a box full of what looked like shells for a grenade launcher.

_My life will be ending soon anyway. It makes no difference, one way or another, I will be free._

Could they have been planning this for Angel? To pit her against this ghastly weapon?

In another area, Lucy could see a number of vector nullifying devices. One of the largest looked like a skeleton of wires that hung from a device which was clearly intended to be worn on the head. Hanging from the wires, she could see a number of hypodermic needles, and strange chemicals held in containers against the wall, near the dreaded device. Lucy had no idea what it could possibly have been used for, but the sight of it made her blood run cold.

Many of the other things in the room that Lucy could see, were clearly designed as weapons to fight those like her. Her attention, however, was drawn to a chamber beyond where a light blinked on and off with high frequency. As she walked towards it, she found herself growing furious at the laboratory itself. Every bit of it was designed to impose control upon her kind. No guidance, only suppression…then oppression. Humans thought they could control everything, and feared whatever they couldn't. Lucy felt an urge to spit, to pull down the walls, to set fire to everything around her. The Institute was a monolithic symbol of man's primal urge to dominate and conquer others. It disgusted her. Even more so because she knew humanity did not have to be this way. Kouta was the complete opposite of this, and as far as Lucy was concerned, he was stronger than the combined might of the Institute itself. It had not been armies, weapons, and cruel technology that had put an end to her inclinations towards slaughter, but Kouta's heart. Thinking of him, she wished she had not come this far. She wished she had just turned around and attempted to find another way out. She almost wished Kouta were with her as she absently reached to take hold of a hand that was not there.

Passing through the door, the flickering light began to hurt her eyes. She couldn't adjust her vision so the white walls of the hallway would flash from white, to black, as she moved through it. Windows on either side of the hallway showed images of lonely rooms with a single medical chair in each; the floors and walls made up of linoleum. Occasionally she could see drains in the floor, hoses hanging from ceilings, and in at least two of the rooms, there were stains which looked like dried blood. She tried very hard not to imagine what it would have been like to have been brought down here and secured to those chairs.

As she reached a door on the far end of the hallway, she could hear the sound of water lapping against a hard surface. A breeze that suddenly swept through the open door filled Lucy with relief as she smelled seawater in the breeze. It was only then that she could hear the distant crashing of waves. A way out, escape. She rushed through the door and felt a sudden awful shock in her mind. A number of sights assailed her all at once.

She found herself in what appeared to be an observation room with vents above the Plexiglas window. Those vents connected to the room beyond where she could see a ship landing area for small boats, which was likely where that breeze had come from. The only other door in the room, which would have taken her out into the area beyond, was shut and, she assumed, locked from noticing the red light next to the door control. There was a larger area between the observation room and the ship launch and Lucy realized that the entire room wasn't a single large space, but rather two rooms separated by a massive bulkhead. This bulkhead was open now, exposing the ship landing. There were various rail tracks embedded within the floor where a large platform would have run along to transport large cargo from docked ships, into specialized areas within the research labs. That platform was visible now, and sitting upon it, was a strange device. It appeared to be a strange combination of a missile, and an aircraft, with multiple vents surrounding it. At the missile's body was a complicated control panel and what seemed to be a receptacle where an arm would fit. Standing at that control panel…

"You…" she said, malevolently, slamming her fist on the control panel.

Kakuzawa casually turned away from his task at the control panel to regard her. Lucy immediately tried to call her vectors to shatter the glass between them, and tear him limb from limb, but found she couldn't focus her thoughts well enough to make them work. What the hell was wrong with her?

"I admit, you got here a lot sooner than I expected. That Ryota sure runs a tight ship to have spread the alert so quickly."

Lucy tried to activate the door next to her but keep getting an error message. She slammed her fist down on it twice then turned back to Kakuzawa, rage in her eyes.

"Wait…you're not Number 5...Override Code D134."

The door behind her automatically hissed shut and with a beeping sound, the green light on the door control turned red. Lucy didn't try to open it. She knew she was trapped…but why couldn't she make her vectors work…

"It's you isn't it?" Kakuzawa said in amazement. Lucy simply stared back in anger. This man had been the one to sentence her to her fate. She hated Kurama for doing his work, but hated Kakuzawa even more for being the architect of suffering for her, and others like her. He built this place…her prison…those labs…those linoleum rooms…

"You're Lucy."

"Let me out of here you goddamn son of a bitch."

He chuckled, "surely you don't need MY help, do you? Just tear down the doors and walls around you with your fury."

He laughed then, and pointed up. Just above him, hung a spherical device with thick wires connecting to it; neon lights on it seemed to pulse at regular intervals. Each pulse brought a new wave of frustrating distraction to Lucy's mind.

"Bastard, I said let me out!"

"Well that wouldn't be very good for my health I should think. You really have your own arrogance to blame for this predicament you currently find yourself in. Did you not pass a crowd of dead, armed guards on your way to greet me this evening? I suppose it's the belief that you're somehow invincible that led you to walk away from all of those guns without taking a single one with you. This Plexiglas isn't designed to be bulletproof."

"You killed those guards…you were being escorted to a prison."

"The vultures thought that they would lock me away to agonize over the irony of my fall. Those fools failed to realize that this is MY facility. Every automated defense system answers to my voice key, and I know all the security overrides. I wrote them myself after all. I merely had to wait until my would be jailors passed a major hallway intersection. Then I spoke their doom."

She remembered the door control room at the development lab's security station…the attack had come from the inside…she then recalled noticing a dark shape hanging from the ceiling in that room. She couldn't stop herself from suddenly flicking her eyes to the ceiling.

"Make yourself comfortable Lucy. Eventually security will find their way down here, but by then I will be gone and you'll be shown back to your old room. Won't that be nice?"

"Goddamn you Kakuzawa!"

"Yes…god damn us all."

She felt a rising fear gripping her throat. He was right. When security found her, they would override the door locks and she would be powerless to stop them from recapturing her…the nightmare would start all over again. And Kouta would never know.

"Kakuzawa wait!"

He had been about to turn around and walk back to the device, but hearing the plea in her voice, he turned around.

"Ah, finally put away that arrogance for a while Lucy? Will you now throw yourself upon my mercy? Perhaps discuss terms?" he laughed.

"Who are we!" She hadn't known she was going to ask the question until she did…and realized she truly wanted the answer. She had merely thought to get him talking in an act of desperation. She hadn't really been sure what she'd do after that.

Kakuzawa had stopped moving, and seemed to go into a trance.

"We…" he said with a tone of resentment, "are kings and queens in exile."

He reached for his hair and then removed it. He was just like the other one…so THIS was that wretched primate's father. She should have known he'd be a Diclonius as well. But he was male, and without the vectors.

Kakuzawa turned back towards Lucy and started walking slowly.

"In nature, all things exist for a reason. Even in the days of early man, they once lived more in harmony with nature, working _with_ it as opposed to altering it to serve some unnatural function. Species' grew and developed, and the balance of power among them allowed for the creation of instinct, social order, and through mankind…culture."

He stopped a few feet away from the window, standing proudly, indignation in his eyes.

"But then something happened…mankind grew too powerful, and began to create the means with which to challenge nature itself. Nothing was more powerful than man, and because of that, there existed no check upon them to bring balance to their expansion. Meanwhile, mankind was still evolving…"

He raised a hand to one of his horns.

"If mankind had been properly balanced in the beginning, the firstborn of the Diclonius would have been a seamless introduction to an adolescent species, and humanity today might have been what we are now. Perhaps we would have been the ones dubbed "human", rather than this alien word created to distinguish a minority from a majority…'Diclonius'"

He let his hand drop, where it balled into a fist.

"But instead, our species was culled by a fearful majority. The evolution of man was stamped out by men themselves. Those Diclonius that were remaining, or born elsewhere throughout the world, were few and often survived as vagabonds; cast out by those that had borne them, and learned to live as ruthless savages in a savage world, away from the walls of civilization. Stories and legends that persist to this day tell of encounters with them, but the superstitious minds of early civilization regarded them as gods, angels, demons, symbols of the various faiths and manifestations of the gods. They say Jesus Christ walked on water…"

He laughed to himself.

"Absurd? Perhaps so. After all the males of the species are unable to call upon the vectors, but perhaps that was not always true."

Lucy listened in rapt attention, curiosity getting in the way of anger. If the opportunity presented itself however…she wouldn't hesitate.

"So here we are today Lucy. The survivors of what should have been the next stage of human evolution. We are too few to destroy humanity and wipe the slate clean. But what if we were many? What if I told you it could happen? That we here, right now today, could begin shifting the balance of power back to its rightful place?"

"_If I succeed in remaking the world…you're going to have to die…"_

_Kouta…_

…_I'm sorry…_

* * *

><p>"<em>Come on now…take off your clothes…"<em>

"_That's my girl…"_

"…_you know what to do…"_

Mayu wanted to scream and scream until she drowned out the words that kept playing in her mind over and over since the man called Ghost had left the room. She could still feel him pressed against her, and could feel his…

She dry heaved and felt to a violent coughing fit as she cried. Still chained to the table leg, she sank to the floor and gripped the leg tightly, taking shuddering breaths. She tried very hard to slow her breathing down as she was starting to feel lightheaded, and the absolute last thing she wanted to do at that moment was pass out She knew she'd have nightmares, and then would be woken up for something even worse. She knew she was going to pay dearly for her show of bravery, but she just couldn't stop herself. The lies he spoke about Bando…it infuriated her. Ghost's retaliation however, had completely destroyed her courage and left her mind in broken pieces.

"Bando…" she wailed quietly, "I'm so scared…"

Once again, she absently tugged on the handcuffs at her wrist and felt the biting pain. After Ghost had left the room, Mayu had taken to frantically attempting to wrench her hand free of the restraint, but all she had accomplished was to rub the skin raw until it bled down her wrist. She did it a few more times on purpose because the pain drowned out the voice of her bastard stepfather.

"Ouch!" she said out loud when she pulled the chain too hard; her body reflexively jerking in pain…

…wait…what was that? Sounded almost like…metal jingling on the floor at her feet.

She rapidly drew her knees up and saw it. The keys to the handcuffs was lying right there on the floor. Ghost must have been too distracted by the radio conversation, and in too much of a hurry, to notice that he had forgotten to put them back on his belt. Mayu had been too distraught to notice it sooner. Her breathing quickened; she knew if she escaped the room that it likely wouldn't make any difference. She didn't know where she was, and had no idea at all how to escape whatever this place was. It was obviously heavily guarded and she would probably be killed on sight, but anything was better than what was coming if she stayed. There was obviously some sort of confusion going on; maybe she could just stay low and use it to get away.

She suddenly remembered Nana, and felt guilty. How could she even think of escaping when Nana was still locked up somewhere, probably suffering just like her? It was that thought which made the decision for her, and she swung her leg out to drag the handcuff keys towards her. Working quickly, she freed herself from the restraint and ran to the door. Once she got there, she hesitated at the door control, her heart racing. If there was anyone outside, her escape would end before it began, but she had to take the chance. After taking a few seconds to listen for anyone at the other side of the door, she held her breath, and pressed the button hard.

The door hissed as it opened and Mayu exhaled when she didn't notice anyone outside. She took a step out of the room…and screamed.

There was a corpse on the ground next to the door, horrifically mangled, and missing its clothes. Mayu fought the urge to faint. The face wasn't recognizable as anything human, looking as if it had been repeatedly bashed in with a sledgehammer. The arms and legs had been twisted at odd angles and she saw broken bones protruding out of the skin in many places. It took her many moments for her attention to register what she saw beyond the corpse.

About fifty feet away from where Mayu was standing, she could see a woman in the hallway at one of the intersections. She wore black pants which seemed slightly baggy from various pockets, dark combat boots, and a sleeveless white t-shirt splattered with blood. Her hair was a red-pink color that spilled down to her waist like an image of falling rain, and much of it hid her face like a veil. She held a pistol in one hand, and with the other, slowly raised one finger to her smiling lips. The strange woman then extended her arm out to point behind Mayu, causing her to whirl around. Seeing nothing, Mayu quickly turned back around to where the woman was standing, but she was gone. It was so surreal…Mayu wasn't sure she really saw what she had seen. Were those horns on the woman's head? No, she was just scared and imagining things, hoping Lucy would have somehow known that they were imprisoned here, and had come to save them.

Mayu turned in the direction that the woman had been pointing, figuring it was as good a direction as any, and started running, carefully checking doors along the way. She wasn't sure what she was looking for and had no idea how she was going to find Nana in this place.

Suddenly she stopped and a few things occurred to her at once. When Ghost had walked in the door, he had entered as if he had come from the right. Well good, she was already moving in that direction, but the blood on his hands…Nana's blood…it had still been fresh, meaning wherever Nana was, had to be close. His hands were also dripping…dripping.

She looked at the floor all around her, and it took a few moments before she noticed small dried drops of blood on the ground, forming a trail. It led to a door which wasn't very far away. Feeling equal parts triumph and fear for her friend, she ran to the door and immediately hit the door control. As it hissed open, she found herself in a small observation room with a window that showed a simple cell. On the table in front of the window were Nana's prosthetic limbs…and in the room beyond….

"NANA!"

Grabbing a ring of keys she noticed on the table, she ran into the room beyond where Nana hung from chains. Her naked body was soaked in blood from wounds on her head and lashes on her body. The look on Nana's face was one of madness wrought from prolonged suffering. Mayu immediately unlocked her arms from the chains and gently sat Nana upon the ground, who then collapsed against her.

"M…ay…u" Nana groaned with a sickening, raspy guttural that came from a voice that had grown hoarse from constant screaming. Mayu cried uncontrollably, and held her friend close, feeling Nana's blood seeping onto her and crawling down her own body. As Mayu wrapped her arms around Nana, she felt a strange metallic device at the base of Nana's neck. Mayu quickly unclamped its various locks and angrily threw it on the ground, causing pieces to break off and a number of lights to flicker off.

"Oh Nana! What did he do to you? Oh my god Nana I'm so sorry I…I didn't…"

She didn't know what to say, or even what she was apologizing for. Not finding her sooner? Thinking more about her own escape earlier? Mayu was mostly just filled with relief mixed with the horror of what Nana had been through.

"L…ove…y…ou…Mayu. Tha…thank you…for…get…ting…me down…"

She felt Nana's chest heaving with sobs, but no sound came out.

"Arms…hur…t"

"It's going to be ok Nana! I'm going to get you out of here! Your arms and legs are in the next room, I'll go get them for you, I'll be right back ok?"

She squeezed Nana in a reassuring hug and turned to run back into the room, tears streaming down her own face, covered in Nana's blood. She had just reached the table and gathered the prosthetics when she heard the click of a gun behind her.

"Hold it right…there."

Mayu slowly turned around and saw a soldier pointing a machine gun at her. He was dressed in black garb which had a patch on one of the arms with a pattern resembling a crude grey skull.

"Heh, I was just on my way to join the rest of Ghost Squad and what should I find but the mark we picked up tonight running around free. Ghost's going to be pleased."

"Just leave us alone you pigs!"

The soldier reached out, slapping the prosthetics out of her hands before grabbing her shoulder and bending her over the table, shouldering his weapon to reach behind him for handcuffs.

"Hands behind your back or this is going to get really ugly."

"GET OFF ME! PLEASE GET OFF ME!"

"I said! Get your hands be…"

The glass in front of Mayu shattered, cutting her face. Suddenly, Mayu was free and she saw the soldier flying into the room as if invisible arms were carrying him…and then realized with a cold shock that that was exactly what was happening. The soldier tried to reach for his gun but Mayu heard a loud snap as his arm suddenly bent wrong, then the soldier started to scream.

Nana was floating in midair, a faraway look of madness in her eyes, and in their depths, terrible hatred.

"She said…leave…us…alone."

Mayu watched as the soldier was suddenly thrust against the wall face first with alarming speed, then pulled away after hitting it. She saw a blood stain on the wall where his face connected with it. When he opened his mouth to scream, Nana threw him against the wall again, harder this time. When he came away, she saw him spit out a number of teeth and noticed a seeping head wound that painted nearly his entire face red.

"Please!" he screamed, "stop!"

"You don't deserve mercy…none of you do…he didn't stop when I begged him. Why should I stop? You were going to hurt Mayu…going to make her helpless and make her feel pain. Let me show you what it feels like."

Another loud snapping sound rang out as Nana broke his other arm, making him scream in pain before the sound terminated with another forceful shove into the wall.

"NANA STOP!" Mayu screamed. She couldn't take it…couldn't watch her best friend do this. Nana was so kind and gentle. She always avoided conflict whenever she could, and was the farthest thing from cruel as a person could get. This couldn't be happening; this was some stranger possessing her friend's body. Dimly, she knew she would have understood if Nana had just killed the man outright, but this was different. Nana was torturing him, releasing pent up rage and insanity born from suffering. Mayu could see it in her eyes; wide open and intense, teeth gritted…the smallest hint of a smile creeping in on one side of Nana's lips. This wasn't the Nana she had known. The shock of seeing Nana this way cast all other thoughts from Mayu's mind.

Nana seemed not to have heard her as she lashed out with a vector to slice off one of the man's legs. Blood poured out of the leg, spreading across the ground rapidly as the soldier's screams reached a wild pitch.

"NANA PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS! LET'S JUST GO!"

"I'll…kill…you," Nana growled, staring at the soldier.

"Don't kill me! Please don't kill me! Oh god!"

It was like a bomb had gone off in the room as the soldier exploded in a cloud of gore, torn in half by Nana. Blood splashed all over Mayu's shirt and face, and she gagged as she tasted some of that blood in her mouth. The upper half of the soldier was thrust into a corner, where Mayu could see him still breathing, horror making his eyes wild as he processed the knowledge that he had been ripped in two. Shock gripped Mayu as she looked on the lurid scene; Nana floating over the corpse…just starting at it.

"M…Mayu?" Nana whispered, still looking upon the corpse, her voice trembling.

Mayu started to scream. She wasn't sure what she was screaming for in particular, whether it was simply due to the horror of the violence she had witnessed, or the fact that Nana had, for a few moments, transformed into something terrible and unrecognizable to her. It could also have been that she had simply reached her saturation point of what her mind could handle. All she knew was at that moment, her entire world seemed to be made of nothing but violence and suffering where she couldn't trust her eyes to be truthful with her. She thought she saw Lucy in a hallway earlier, and just watched something that looked like Nana, tear a person apart limb from limb. She wasn't thinking straight and couldn't even if she wanted to. The only thing that was left in her mind was a single command: run.

Mayu turned around and slammed her fist on the door control.

"Mayu! No! Please don't go! I didn't mean…I'm sorry!"

It was just noise to Mayu. Noise with no meaning as she fled the room and started running down the halls, not caring where she went or where she'd end up or who she might run into. Somewhere deep down, she could feel the guilt of running away from her friend, but her fear would not allow her legs to stop moving. She just had to keep running…had to…get to…find…

Just run…run run run run run run run…

…

* * *

><p>"Bring it on you motherfuckers!"<p>

Bando raised his assault rifle and braced himself against the wall as he leaned slightly from his cover, spraying a rain of death on the fortified positions of the perimeter S.A.T troops. As they scurried behind their hiding places, he fired a grenade from the launcher attached to the bottom of the rifle, quickly unpinning a hand grenade as the first shell flew out, and threw it behind a stack of crates on the other side of the area he had fired the rifle grenade. Upon the explosion of the first shell, the soldiers threw down covering fire as they ran in the other direction to get behind more sturdy defenses. Bando took cover and smiled, waiting for it. At the moment they reached a break in those defenses, the grenade he had preemptively thrown there exploded, tearing them to shreds. As the screaming began, he dropped his rifle and ripped two pistols out of their holsters, leaving cover and breaking into a run towards the soldiers. Using their confusion against them, he vaulted over a stack of boxes, and hit the ground with his pistols blazing, tearing large chunks of flesh from their bodies with each bullet fired. They attempted an ineffectual defense, trying to fire back, but they were too disoriented to get clear shots and Bando finished them off with ease, emptying both clips as he killed them to a man.

Releasing the magazines, and reloading, he listened to the distant voices in an attempt to get a sense of where the attack would be coming from next. He was irritated that the soldiers seemed to be herding him, as opposed to Bando picking his own path to infiltrate the facility. He was frankly pissed off that he had to do it this way at all, as he'd planned on a more quiet entry, but by the time he had reached the island there was already a general alert issued to the guards. Apparently someone had knocked one of them out and had taken their clothing and weapon, in addition to a report elsewhere about a suspicious female who had vanished before the guard team could catch up with and question her. It was that heightened state of alert at the perimeter which caused him to be discovered quite easily. Which was fine with him really; he didn't want to do this without a fight anyway. He owed all these bastards the mercy of his gun. Especially Ghost…that fucker was going to die screaming; he had given him his word on that when he spoke to him on the phone.

Looking to his left he saw silhouettes of men running towards his position. It was a lot of them. Fortunately for him, it was too dark for them to figure out that the long figure standing there was not one of their own. Before they had a chance to figure it out, he unpinned two of three remaining grenades on his person, and threw them towards the advancing men. Running back behind the crates, and heading in the opposite direction, he heard gunfire from the men who had understood the hostile gesture for what it was. Then he heard explosions, and frantic orders to find cover.

Laughing, Bando ran back to the small alley between the two concrete walled pump houses where he had dropped his rifle, but as he kneeled down to retrieve it, he saw lights in the distance, roughly fifteen of them. They were gun lights.

"Shit," he said out loud to himself. He'd heard some stray communication on his radio saying something about diverting troops to the armory. He cursed himself for having assumed those reinforcements would all come from the same direction. Now he was boxed in and good as he was, there was no way he could survive a full onslaught from two squads of heavily armed S.A.T troops. He was running out of tricks, and ammunition.

He took a mental stock of what he had left: one grenade, an automatic shotgun on his back with a full clip but no backup ammo, two .50 caliber pistols that were fully loaded and four magazines for them tucked away in the tactical vest he had stolen from one of the soldiers. He had two more clips for the assault rifle…and as he reloaded it, he crossed one of those two off of his mental list. He had taken all he could reasonably carry and had been constantly on the run trying to find a way inside the facility. There had been no time to loot dead soldiers and he didn't think he had enough weapons or ammo to withstand what was coming. Looking around him, he noticed a chain link fence that ran perpendicular to the wall he was currently resting against. There was razor wire on the top but he noticed that there were no guard towers or vantage points for snipers in the yard beyond. It was walled off and contained a number of climate control and ventilation units, bunched up against one another like a small city. But most importantly there was a door…a regular good old fashioned door with a deadbolt lock and no keycard access required. Just a boot and a temper. He'd come with both, the latter in massive supply.

He retrieved a device from one of the pockets which looked like a thick wand about the length of Bando's forearm. Partially diverting his eyes, he twisted the cover and yanked it off, closing his eyes against the energy reaction of the K-stick, a relatively new device that had still been under development by the time he went AWOL from S.A.T. It was a one time use device which employed lasers against an extremely durable metal to superheat it and used the metal as a focus for which the energy would slide away and dissipate. But anything touching that metal would be sliced cleanly away. It wasn't efficient as a weapon because such a reaction only allowed the metal to last for a matter of seconds, but it was useful for cutting entry points into chain link fences, or quietly shearing through thick bulkhead or deadbolt locks in seconds.

Working quickly, he passed the rod through the fence with a single sweep of his arm, cutting a hole. As he kicked his cut section of fence away, the K-stick went out and Bando tossed it. He still had two more of those if he needed them.

Wasting no time, he crossed the yard quickly and kicked in the single door, disappearing into the facility and slamming the door behind him. He grabbed a metal bar he saw laying next to the door, and wedged it through the handle to barricade it. It wouldn't hold them forever, but it would be enough for them to lose his trail.

Looking around him, he noticed he was in the utilities area of the facility. It was quite heavily guarded from the other side as it contained the power sources for the Institute. They wouldn't have had a reason to attach too much security to the maintenance door he had just entered however, the assumption being the perimeter was so well guarded that no intruder would make it as far as Bando had. Idiots…would nothing teach them that you couldn't be too careful?

Shouldering his rifle, he retrieved his combat knife and began to move further into the poorly lit maintenance area. He could hear the sound of an alert going off in the distance. Bando chuckled to himself.

_You call this an emergency? I'm just getting warmed up. _

He picked up his pace, hoping to find a way into the facility halls. He'd be having a chat with the first unlucky prick he ran across regarding where they kept prisoners. Now that he was inside and not under immediate fire, he began to feel worry creeping in once again. Ghost was a notoriously sick fuck who seemed to get something out of torturing captives. Bando had been no angel himself to be sure, but he had never been able to bring himself to the extremes that Ghost would happily go. If he had laid a goddamn hand on Mayu…

"_I LOVE YOU BANDO!"_

The words had shocked him, reached deep within him and shook something long hidden. They stirred a part of him that he had convinced himself was long dead. After Ghost had hung up the phone, Bando had simply sat there with the phone still at his ear. All alone, the sound of the growing breeze masking all other noise, he had mouthed those words he could dare not speak aloud. He pretended that since he could not hear himself speak, then the words had not really been said. He would not think of those words now. The only thing that mattered was finding Mayu, and getting her away from Ghost before he…

A loud sound jarred him from his thoughts and he pressed himself flat against the wall. The sound had been a door flying open and smashing the wall, followed by the sound of a single pair of footsteps running. This was followed by a group of heavier footsteps; Bando estimated about three men. But who were they chasing…

"Stay away from me!" called a female voice…sounded like…

Mayu!

Bando sprang into action, running after the frantic sounds of footsteps deeper into the maintenance area. Judging by the equipment he was starting to pass, they were somewhere in the main power room that housed all the generators which ran the facility and its security systems. There was only one way out of that room, and Mayu had just run through the only exit. She didn't know that she just turned into a dead end. He could hear the voices in the distance as he closed in fast.

"Please! I just want to go home!"

"Take her down and let's get the hell out of here."

No! Just a little farther. Hold on…please hold on…

He could hear the clicks of weapons being loaded.

Mayu screamed…

"YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!"

The soldiers whirled around at Bando's rage filled roar just as he reached them. He slammed into one of them, shoulder checking him into a generator as he flipped the blade of his knife backwards, swinging hard and slashing the throat of another man standing nearby. The third soldier yelled out, pointing his submachine gun towards Bando who sidestepped and grabbed the muzzle of the gun, pushing it towards the soldier he had knocked to the ground as the man pulled the trigger. Gunfire tore him to shreds as Bando stabbed downward with his combat knife into the base of the third man's neck. Yanking the knife roughly out, he shoved the last man, already dead, savagely away from him where he hit the ground hard.

He caught his breath for a few moments, kneeling down to wipe the blood from his knife onto a dead man's uniform before he placed it back in its sheath. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to face Mayu. He didn't want to see the look in her eyes…he knew what he'd find there. Horror. His own soul reflected back at him through eyes belonging to someone he lo…

"B…Bando?"

Don't look, just collect the bullets, get her out of there. Then leave. There was never a reason to stay in Kamakura anyway. Just Mayu…and that was over now.

"Bando," she called out again, tears in her voice, "please tell me this is real…"

"Hate to say it Mayu, but yeah…it's real."

He checked the bullets in the pistols. Tungsten? Was that standard loadout now? Or was something else going on that required soldiers to be armed with them? They were all .45 caliber. He supposed he could take one as a backup.

"Bando…are you real?"

The question struck him as strange and he turned towards Mayu without thinking about it. There in her eyes…no terror…no disgust…but…

…she looked at him like a…hero. There was an edge of guilt there too. He only recognized it because he sometimes saw it in mirrors, mocking him for his failure to protect that which was most important to him…a long time ago.

But her eyes…held tears of relief and…something more that he couldn't bring himself to name. He had done it…he had saved her…his strength finally used for something that mattered…something real.

_This was why…_

_This was why I did everything. _

_Every moment of my life…this is the reason for it all. _

Bando took a few steps towards Mayu, and held his hand out.

"Come here Mayu…"

Without hesitation, Mayu walked towards him quickly and threw her arms around Bando's neck, sobbing into his shoulder. Had she really grown that much in a year?

That wasn't right. She was only taller now…she had grown up much more than that over the course of her life…

"You came for me…you really came for me…oh Bando…"

"It's alright Mayu. Everything's going to be alright."

Everything had changed, he had changed. He understood now what separated a warrior from just another killer. Purpose…a reason to fight, rather than just an excuse. He would use his strength to protect her. It was for this, that he had fought for so long. He held Mayu tightly against him, and felt her calming down in his arms.

"I meant it Bando…what I said before he took me…"

"I know."

But he still couldn't say the words. She didn't ask for them…perhaps she already knew…

…of course she did. She was no fool.

She pulled away from him, but not before kissing his cheek near the corner of his lips, and backing off just enough to look into his eyes. After a few moments, Bando stepped away, and began to examine the corpses as if they held any other subject of interest.

"We've got to get out of here Mayu. We can't go back the way I came in. There'll be people there trying to get in. Can you show me the door you got in here with?"

"I think so…I wasn't really paying too much attention to where I was going, but it was mostly in one direction. Just straight back out and keep taking right turns."

"Alright, good. Once we get out into the halls, I'm pretty sure I can get us back out to the landing. I've got a boat out there about two-hundred feet from the actual dock, in a small cave. I set up a rope we can use to rappel down to it. Once we get back to the perimeter, we can disappear..."

"NO!"

"What? Mayu don't fuck with me right now! We are in some deep shit!"

It was only then that he noticed the bloodstains all over Mayu. How could he have missed that?

"Jesus christ," he said, kneeling down to check her for superficial wounds, "where did he hurt you?"

She slapped his hands away, "no Bando! Nana is still in here. We have to get her out!"

"Are you fucking crazy? I sure as shit don't have to stick my neck out for that freak. I came here for you. That's it."

"Bando please!" she cried in anguish.

"No Mayu. Those monsters have been the cause of so much damn misery. The simple fact that you're here should be enough to convince you of that!"

Mayu gritted her teeth and sobbed through them, "I have to Bando…even if you don't come with me. Nana's my best friend and I…I…"

She fell to her knees, "I ran away…she was just trying to protect me and I ran away from her like she was a monster! She must have been even more scared than I was and I just abandoned her like a coward," she paused to take a breath between sobs, "if she dies here it'll be all my fault. I'll regret it for the rest of my life. I made a mistake! I have to make things right, no matter how scared I am, I can't leave without my friend!"

Bando remembered himself as a child, frightened of his much more powerful father…and remembered breaking his kneecap with a pipe wrench.

He looked around once again at the corpses, and noticed something at one of their feet. He reached down.

"Take this."

He handed her the dead man's sidearm; a 9mm automatic pistol.

"You know how to use that ri…"

He watched, once again in amazement, as Mayu checked the magazine, then slammed it back in, pulling back on the slide, clicking off the safety…had she been paying that much attention to him all this time? The corner of his lips turned upward in a smile despite himself.

"That won't kick as hard as my gun, you remember how that felt?" he asked, recalling a memory a few days after she had held his gun to her own head. He wanted her to have a bit of respect for what exactly she had been holding in her hand, and so Bando let her fire it once while he had braced her against him, holding onto the pistol as well. She had hesitated just long enough for him to feel self conscious about her physical closeness to him before she pulled the trigger…and dropped the gun in a sudden fright.

"I remember," she said, looking away slightly embarrassed.

"You'll be able to hold onto that one. Just make sure you DO hold on. Don't shoot unless you absolutely have to. I just gave you that in case things get really bad. If I have it my way, you won't so much as aim it, let alone fire it. Now, where did you leave Nana?"

"I'm not sure, but I think we were in…"

They heard the sound of footsteps coming towards them…a LOT of them. Shit…all that time they had spent arguing had allowed his pursuers to break down the door and catch up to him. They were trapped in the generator room…

…generator room.

Bando pulled out his last grenade, and the two K-sticks.

"Bando…what are we going to do?"

"Do you trust me Mayu?"

"Yes," no hesitation.

"Are you ready to do whatever it takes…WHATEVER it takes to protect the people you love?"

Mayu's eyes hardened.

"Yes," came her reply, her voice rough with determination. It wasn't everyday that a person got a second chance to show strength where there was once only weakness. You either won, or you lost. But sometimes…you could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat…success from failure.

He handed her the last hand grenade.

"When I say so…pull that pin out and throw it around the corner."

He set his gaze on the main generator, powered with experimental technology…highly sensitive, but heavily armored. He would only have one chance…if this didn't work. They would die here…together.

The sounds of the soldiers were getting closer; Bando lifted the two K-sticks and rested the ridges on the blade cap against a study edge.

"After you throw that, take my hand…don't let go for anything, no matter what you hear or what is going on around you. Just keep running, ok Mayu?"

He saw her trembling with fear, but she did not cry or wail. Her gaze was steady, her grip white knuckle tight against the explosive device. She nodded shakily.

Bando heard the heavy fall of the boots until he could now count their number, but chose not to. He heard the sound of the guns slapping against equipment, the labored breaths of tired runners, the whispered voices assuring them that their targets were just around the corner…almost time…almost time…

Bando yanked the K-sticks back, using the edge to pull off both caps, the laser's reaction starting and the steel blades burning brightly, casting a red light around the main generator room.

"He's in there! Fucking kill him!"

"NOW MAYU!"

Mayu ripped the pin off of the grenade and threw it around the corner at the same time that Bando threw the K-sticks at the main generator. They landed blade first against what looked like very important areas of the machine. Almost immediately, there was an eruption of sparks and an explosion from the generator, blue lightening ripping through the air in ragged claws, destroying everything around it. Just ahead of them, there was a loud explosion as Mayu's thrown grenade bounced off the wall and landed in the midst of the shocked and surprised soldiers. Before the full extent of the carnage could be witnessed, all the lights in the area turned off. Bando knew they had only minutes until the red emergency lights were activated, and the survivors got a bead on them. Mayu grabbed his hand, and Bando hefted his automatic shotgun. He took off down the hallway, using his memory of the layout to guide him, as he fired round after round, clearing the path of soldiers who fired wildly all around them, hitting nothing.

He tossed the gun aside as he heard the click, the emergency lights turning on at that moment, bathing everything in a dark red light. Just ahead of them, they saw the open door where Mayu had entered the maintenance area.

"Move it Mayu! Don't stop running!" As they entered the hall, Bando picked a direction and ran. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he figured that getting away from the sounds he heard as they entered the hall…the sounds of gunfire and screaming…was probably a good idea.


	13. When the Lights Go Out

There was a mirror in the room with her.

Nana stood naked before it, her synthetic limbs reattached, and her clothes gripped in one hand. Splashed with blood, standing on plastic limbs, branded a monster by the rest of the world, she could see only ugliness in the reflection. She had long ago run out of tears and merely examined herself in numb desolation. It seemed as if every physical feature contained a glaring flaw. She could see the difference in color where true flesh met fake. Her red colored eyes seemed monstrous to her now, as well as the horns she had once loved. The way her hands parted as they hung to her sides looked as counterfeit as they were in reality; nothing relaxed or casual about them. Just a mechanism in disuse. She felt like a beast. She didn't want to live like one, and besides…what was there left to live for anymore? Even Mayu had forsaken her when she finally saw the reality of Nana's wretchedness. Bando had been right about her…he had always been right.

"_There's nothing peaceful about horn headed freaks. You're an enemy of mankind. You're not welcome anywhere."_

She was alone now…completely alone…

"_You're nothing but vermin, you spread sickness and murder and were put on this earth as a plague to mankind."_

…and worthless.

She wished that that awful man would have killed her. He was even more cruel than she could possibly have guessed for keeping her alive. The sight of herself in the mirror made her want to vomit.

Turning away from the mirror, she dressed herself quickly, unsure of what to do next. She could try to escape of course, but where would she go, and what was the point? She couldn't go back to the Maple Inn…couldn't face Mayu. And what of Kouta and Yuka? They would know what she did, and how she took pleasure in it. Things would never be the same again, even if they took her back in. Even if they never found out, Nana would always remember Mayu's screams, and know deep down that if the ones she loved could see what Mayu had seen…they would run screaming too.

Turning back to the mirror, she regarded herself in the dress that Kurama had given her. She looked completely different; the dress seeming to change everything about her, and smoothing the rough edges of her ugliness with its beauty and the attendant emotions she attached to the simple gift from her papa. She smiled despite herself and twirled slightly, letting it billow out. She loved the dress and it still fit her even after she had grown into it a bit. In fact, she thought she actually looked better in it than she did before. The momentary thought that she was beautiful in any way brought tears to her eyes.

_Papa…even when you're not here, you can make me feel better. You're watching over me…protecting me. I know it…_

Her face was bloodied and bruised and she looked like a wreck, but for a few moments she allowed herself to ignore these things and see herself the way Kurama would have seen her. Forcing a smile, she wrapped her arms around herself to strike a weak pose as if for a camera. The light moment faded quickly as despair crawled back into her face.

_What should I do papa? What should I do now? _

Mayu was out there somewhere, running for her life. Nana wouldn't be able to find her at this point but maybe if she caused enough mayhem somewhere, it would create enough of a distraction for Mayu to get out somehow. She tried not to think on the impossibility of escape from an island where the docks were sure to be heavily guarded. Didn't matter anyway, Nana had made up her mind. The circle was going to close here for her. Her papa was dead, she had pushed Lucy completely away, Mayu was lost to her, and she didn't want to wait to see it happen with Kouta and Yuka. It had been all her fault that this pain had come to those she loved. No more…it would end here forever, and she would take as many of the monsters with her as she could before it was over.

Blinking, she was surprised to find herself out in the halls. When had she left the room? She had been walking this entire time, lost in her thoughts, and could easily have been spotted and killed by a passing guard. She wondered why there weren't any around. There was an alarm sounding throughout the facility…Mayu. They must have discovered her. The fact that the alarm was still on gave Nana hope; it meant they had not captured her yet.

She wasn't sure she was comfortable with the lapse of attention that had brought her this far outside the cell without her paying attention. It was like she was being guided somehow; some familiar voice telling her where to go. She could see Kurama in everything, and preferred to imagine that it was his will coming from somewhere which guided her steps. It was even like she could hear his voice…

…wait a minute…she DID hear his voice!

"Papa!" she cried out loud, as she ran into an office room. Could it be true? Could all her senses have lied to her? Could he be alive?

She burst into the room to find it empty, but it took her a few moments more to convince herself of that. The sound was coming from the desk in front of her, which had numerous devices attached to it. The lights on the various devices were haphazardly lit up, as though someone had accidentally activated many of them all at once, then just left them that way. It was his voice…Papa's …coming from one of those devices. As she approached it, she noticed pictures on the desk. A pretty woman giving a peace sign with one hand, then a picture of Kurama with a young woman. He looked much happier, which was in contrast to the condition of the picture itself. The glass had been shattered, obscuring only Kurama's face. Next to that, Nana saw a picture of herself. He had kept it…right here with him.

She only half heard his voice as it carried around the room on a speaker; an audio diary she knew. As the recording went on, she carefully shook the broken glass away from the photo of Kurama and the unknown woman, and took it from its frame, clutching it to her chest.

"…_and this is why I must end it. Why I have to find Mariko and leave this world with her…it's only right."_

She felt pain lance through her heart at hearing that part of the recording…why couldn't he…

"_Nana…I know one day you'll hear this…_

_What?_

Nana rushed to the speaker and bent over near it, listening intently. He was speaking to her…directly to her…recording or no. How long had she dreamed of this?

"_So I want to tell you what I could not tell you before. Just in case we never meet again before I die, or if there is no time to say it. You inherited a terrible legacy that you never asked for. You were punished for this without even a reason why…and I was the one who put you through it. You knew that it was me, and you loved me anyway…sometimes I wished you didn't. I wanted you to hate me…it would have made things easier… "_

Yes, she had known. Long before he had given her the injection and helped her escape, she had already decided that she would die for him anyway. She loved him with all her heart, and that love did not require reciprocation or conditions. It simply was what it was.

"…_you deserved so much better than what you went through. You deserved a real father, and not a bastard like me. I failed you so much even though I loved you like I had loved Mariko."_

"I loved you too Papa…I'll never stop loving you."

"_You and Mariko…you aren't monsters. No matter what they or anyone else say, I know now beyond a shadow of a doubt that it isn't true. Even if they push you to violence Nana, it doesn't make their claims true. All species of the world are capable of violence, so if you're a monster, than so are we all. Your spirit is the proof that puts the lie to all the nefarious claims put upon Diclonius children. You've always been special Nana, and you kept your heart against all odds. That is your single greatest strength, and it's more important than you could ever realize. Never let that go…don't believe it when they call you 'monster'. Don't let people tell you what you are, you alone decide that. Your fate is not written in your DNA…it's in the choices you make, and the reasons you make them."_

She wept silently as she listened to his words. He was right…how could she let Bando's words and her own guilt dictate her path in life? She couldn't let Papa down this way. He had sacrificed so much so that she could live. She was ashamed of thinking about giving up, and suddenly found herself ashamed of how much time she had spent mourning him, and in constant emotional pain. That was not the "life" that he had in mind for her. She was wasting it…

…this was her sign. The one she had been waiting for. And all she had to do was venture into hell and burn in its fire to find it. Suddenly, the pain she felt seemed awfully insignificant.

"_I know you'll make me proud Nana. I'll always love you…"_

She smiled as tears ran down her face. Pressing a button, the audio tape ejected from the player and she took it. Wrapping it safely inside the picture of Kurama, she stepped away from the console. She had come to a new decision. She would not throw her life away in here. She would find Mayu, no matter how frightened her friend might be of her now, and they would escape together. She would have the courage to face Mayu. Nana would have the courage to accept herself and the things she did, and the things she would do; because she would do them to protect the people she loved. They were all wrong; the Diclonius were not born evil, nor was evil the sole dominion of her species simply because they were different. It was time for her mourning to end, and her life to begin. It's what he would have wanted for her…

Suddenly, the lights in the room went out, as well as the lights in the hallway. Everything was pitch black for a few moments and for several minutes, everything was dead silent except for the occasional sound of what Nana knew to be pistol fire. Somewhere in the hallway nearer to Kurama's office, Nana heard other sounds…voices.

"Move it Mayu! Don't stop running!"

Mayu? That voice sounded familiar but…Mayu!

Red emergency lights clicked on and Nana prepared to run out of the room to intercept the voices, but then from somewhere far away, she heard a monstrous scream of murderous rage, followed by a din of gunfire. Nana sank to her knees clutching her head in agony as she sensed a horrifyingly powerful Diclonius mind somewhere nearby; the strength and rage in the signal jarring Nana's thoughts and spiking through her head. Recovering quickly, she ran out of the room and took off in the direction that she heard the voice heading to. It had passed by the door so she didn't have to work too hard to pick up the trail. As she ran, she picked up a weak but familiar Diclonius signal coming from somewhere straight ahead of her…

What was Lucy doing here?

* * *

><p>"What say you Lucy? Now that you know the truth? The voice in your DNA, it calls you not merely to destroy humanity, but rather to replace it. It is the destiny written in our blood. We are the angels of the Rapture. The very purpose of your birth can be realized right now Lucy. No more persecution, no more hiding."<p>

Kakuzawa slightly extended his arms in supplication, a smile of pride on his face. The image of the missile behind him seeming like a monolithic testament to the strength of his conviction. She didn't know why the Institute was keeping a weapon that large within its depths, or what they would do with it. What she did know with absolute certainty, was that Kakuzawa now had control of it, and was going to use it to an end she could not fathom.

She couldn't stop thinking about Kakuzawa's words…his revelations. And couldn't stop thinking of other words as well…

"_I heard they found you all alone in a field…" _

"_I bet your parents abandoned you…"_

"_You must be some kind of monster…"_

Heartache…loneliness…hostility…bitterness.

"_If you ever have a problem, you know you can always tell me anything. Whatever you need I'm there for you…"_

Lies…

"_If you surrender obediently, I'll save that girl."_

More lies…

"_Sick of you street trash…go sleep in a dumpster or something!"_

Hate them…hate them all…just…

"_You didn't deserve that sadness…I wish I could have done something…"_

_Kouta…_

"What will it be Lucy?"

_Kouta…I'm sorry._

Lucy stepped forward and placed her palms on the glass, sighing in resignation as she looked into Kakuzawa's eyes. He smiled.

"Kakuzawa?"

"Yes Lucy?"

She spat on the glass, obscuring his face.

"Go fuck yourself," she hissed in her venomous tone.

She would not even pretend to acquiesce to a design which could possibly mean the end of Kouta's life, and considered Kakuzawa's ambition to be a direct threat towards his life. It made her hate him in a way she had never hated anyone or anything before in her life. She was sorry for not escaping when she had the chance, and for coming down here. How long would Kouta stand in the rain within the Maple House's courtyard, waiting for her to come back home through those doors? On what day would he finally be forced to admit to himself that she was never coming back?

_Kouta…I'm so sorry…all I do is bring you pain. _

She lowered her head, still bracing herself against the glass with her hands, to hide the tears that began to slide off of her face.

"Very well…Lucy. Then this is where your life will finally end. In darkness, and obscurity. As it should have been."

She closed her eyes and focused her mind on an image of Kouta and every quiet, beautiful moment they had spent together. Every touch, every kiss, every time he told her that he loved her. Her time with him felt too short…as if though there would never be enough time to have all of the moments she could ever want with him. She wanted to feel him hold her…just one more time before the end.

She looked up and saw Kakuzawa pull a container of some fluid out of the missile, and replace it with another one. He gave the capsule he removed a look of pure disdain before flinging it away where it shattered against a wall. Lucy didn't know what it meant…she didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. She just wanted…

The lights in the room suddenly went out; moonlight the only illumination in the area.

"What is this?" Kakuzawa exclaimed loudly.

Lucy felt her mind level out…and noticed the lights on the device that hung from the ceiling, had turned off. Savage triumph filled her heart as she called upon her vectors.

"Kakuzawa!" she screamed.

She saw the dark shape of him turn towards her before she shattered the glass with her vectors, leaping out of the room. There was nothing else in her mind but a single purpose: killing Kakuzawa. With a cry of rage, she closed the distance on him as he tried to run away. There was no escape…he had no chance…he was hers. And now he was going to pay.

* * *

><p>Arakawa's heart had seemed to stop for a few moments when she saw Kakuzawa replace the cylinders.<p>

She had reentered the facility against all logic to see if she could run across Kakuzawa on her way to the ship landing, but had gotten lost in the engineering level instead. She had walked the cold halls in a panic, sure that at any moment, she would be discovered by security. She hadn't run into any however, which she found strange. Either the emergency was more grave than Ryota had let on, or there were multiple security breaches that were scattering their forces.

Upon coming across the grisly scene of the dead security guards at the main engineering access bulkhead, she figured she would use the opportunity to find Red Sky and make some attempt at sabotaging it. She was clearly too late for that now. Kakuzawa…the bastard…had switched the viral cultures, and she knew very well the one that he had replaced the other with. Kakuzawa had loaded Red Sky with the Diclonius vector virus which she had developed herself, upon threat of death. He had then locked the canister loading console to a code that she knew only he would know. The Institute could still fire the weapon, but would not be able to access the container area. If they ever had cause to use Red Sky, they would fire their sabotaged weapon, oblivious to the fact that they would unintentionally be spreading the virus over a citywide radius. At best they would have to exterminate the entire population to contain the virus. At worst, the citizens would spread to other parts of the world, and Diclonius births would began to outstrip normal human birth. Kakuzawa was going to condemn the entire human race…with one simple act of sabotage.

She had been about to rush him and, with no small amount of satisfaction, put a gun in his mouth and force him to remove the virus. If he refused, she didn't really feel squeamish about putting a few flesh tearing bullets in him. Especially in one part in particular…

The lights in the room went out suddenly, as well as the lights in the rooms behind her. After hearing a soft feminine voice say something that Arakawa couldn't hear, she saw the glass shatter in a small control room. The moonlight shone directly on it from the small dock nearby, and Arakawa saw a figure leap out of the room. She recognized the physical features even in the dark. It was a Diclonius…what the hell were one of those doing out of their holding facilities?

…this one was wearing street clothes. A long dark coat over a long skirt and what looked like a school uniform top. What the hell?

It took a moment for her to process the scene before her; Kakuzawa running in fear, and his Diclonius pursuer bearing down on him in a dead run, rage in her facial features. Suddenly she knew…that girl was going to kill him. If she did that, they would never be able to remove the virus. No one would know but Arakawa, and she was reasonably sure that even if the Diclonius knew what Kakuzawa had done, she probably wouldn't really mind too much, so it was down to Arakawa. She had to stop this.

Running out of the hallway, she chased them down as fast as she could. They were heading towards the small launch where a boat waited; not that she thought Kakuzawa would be using that now. She surmised he was likely heading back inside the facility, hoping to run across security forces which would likely consider the female as the greater threat. None of that mattered however, as she saw a large object fly through the air and slam into Kakuzawa's back, causing him to cry out and fall hard onto the floor. Arakawa ran harder, lifting her gun.

"NO! DON'T KILL HIM!"

She couldn't believe she was saying those words aloud. In truth, she would have liked nothing better than to blow his goddamn brains out.

In the cold blue light of the moon, she saw Kakuzawa lifted slowly into the air, a savage smile of triumph on the woman's face.

"You've had this coming for a long time," the woman said coldly.

"LLLUUUCCCCCYYYYYYY!" he screamed.

Kakuzawa was suddenly ripped in half, his torso kept aloft while the lower half was flung into the water below. As he screamed, the Diclonius…Lucy…surged a vector through his head, causing it to explode in a mass of brain and skull fragments. Arakawa stared in numb shock, as if she had just witnessed in a single moment, the future death of mankind. Kakuzawa was dead, and with him, any chance of removing the virus from Red Sky. They would have to destroy the missile now, but she did not have the means to do so. It was all she could do to attempt an escape and even that seemed impossible. There was no way she would be able to destroy Red Sky on her own…

…those goddamn monsters. All they did was cause pain and suffering in everything they touched. Gritting her teeth, she raised her gun to Lucy.

"Why won't you freaks just fucking die!"

Lucy turned around as Arakawa fired three bullets. Lucy didn't even flinch, and stared at her with cold eyes.

"You first," she said icily.

At that moment, emergency power kicked in; a combination of red, and white lights illuminating the room once again. She saw Lucy's face twitch in an invisible effort of will, and Arakawa knew she was about to die.

Except…she was still alive…how?

Frustration showed in Lucy's face as she took a step backwards. She was afraid? What was wrong? Turning around, Arakawa noticed that the vector nullifier had been reactivated. Evidently that was one of the systems attached to the emergency generator. A sensible precaution. Arakawa smiled and lifted the gun once again to Lucy.

"Care to repeat that? You have no idea what you've just done."

"I exterminated a pest."

"You've killed us all you bitch! But you're not going to be around to see your precious utopia."

"What…are you talking about?"

"Don't bother playing dumb. I've been studying you monsters for years."

"What a coincidence…I've been studying YOU monsters for years as well. But for the life of me I still can't figure out what makes you think you have more right to exist than we do."

"Tell it to your victims. You'll be seeing them soon."

She was about to pull the trigger when she heard a chorus of footsteps and guns being cocked. An entire squadron of S.A.T soldiers suddenly flooded the room and took up defensive positions, aiming their weapons at Arakawa and Lucy. The last person to enter the room was Ryota, who entered calmly, his pistol in hand. Arakawa kept her gun trained on Lucy, fearing to move and not daring to pull the trigger now in case it prompted the other soldiers to gun her down as well.

"I told you Akane, that I would capture you. Did I not? I should thank you however for discharging your weapon. You led us right to you."

He took a few steps towards her, "I'll have my gun back Arakawa. Peacefully now, and you needn't get hurt."

"Why should I? What do I have to lose? You're going to kill me anyway…"

"That was his order," Ryota said, motioning towards Kakuzawa's corpse, "I have no contractual obligations to the directives of a dead man."

"And are those the only obligations that matter Ryota? If you don't have to kill me, you don't have to take me in either."

"I'm afraid I absolutely must do at least that. You know I can't let you leave this island."

Arakawa heard Lucy laughing softly.

"So I'm the monster," she said sarcastically, "but you fired at me first, and now you're begging for your sorry life at the feet of another human. I guess Diclonius aren't the only monsters around that you fear."

"Shut up!"

"As for the rest of you," Lucy said, "I made a promise to someone. Someone who means more to me than the whole of your world ever will. I promised him that I would come back alive. I won't let you make me break that promise."

The statement stunned Arakawa, who lowered her gun. Somehow it seemed surreal, that Diclonius should say such things or even hint at such feelings. Had she become no different than Kakuzawa? She had seen them as things, and animalistic monsters. But this woman, Lucy…she was fighting for someone she loved. What could be more human than that?

"That's all well and good," Ryota said softly, "but I'm afraid it's a pointless stand you're taking. You are vastly outnumbered and the device over there," he said, pointing at the vector nullifier, "has effectively removed your fangs. Don't make this hard on yourself. Surrender peacefully."

Arakawa knew in that moment that she would never allow herself to be taken alive. Seeing the determination in Lucy's face had decided her. The Diclonius were monsters, and should be destroyed; that much Arakawa still believed. But she found herself respecting Lucy for not backing down. Neither of them would stomach living as a slave anymore.

She looked at Ryota, the man whom she would fire the first bullets at, and once again found herself hesitating in that resolution. His eyes seemed to be pleading with her, imploring her to find a way out of the situation. He could not give it to her…and she could see in that moment that he desperately wanted to.

_Ryota…_

He was a slave…she knew it was true. She knew it was the reason she would never receive mercy from him. Just like her old prison guards, a slave in thrall will always fear their master more than they pity their master's victims.

"Take them…" Ryota said simply.

"NOOO!" cried a voice among one of the soldiers. Why did that voice…

* * *

><p>…sound so familiar?<p>

Lucy felt a twisting anxiety in her stomach as the feeling rushed through her.

Almost in slow motion, she saw one of the masked soldiers break from the formation and aim their weapon…

…at the vector nullifying device.

He opened fire, tearing it completely apart in seconds before being physically restrained by two other soldiers. Lucy felt the control over her vectors return to her.

"Soldier! Stand down!" the man called Ryota yelled out in a powerfully authoritative tone.

"Commander, this guy's not one of ours. He's got ID on him for a squad assigned at the beach. They weren't recalled back to here."

She knew…

The men pulled off his mask, and Lucy screamed. The shock of her anger prompted the soldiers to attack her but Lucy was beyond caring. The weight of the bullets told her they were tungsten rounds, but somehow the strength of her fury gave her power, and she found herself able to divert them away from her, if not stop them outright. She ripped and tore the soldiers around her to pieces as she ran full speed towards the unmasked soldier. With a final slam of her vectors, she blasted the remainder of men away from her as if a bomb had exploded, and found herself staring into the face of…

"Kouta!"

It was impossible…absolutely impossible. How did he get here? Why was he here? How long had he been here searching for her? How could he even be capable of going this far, and risking himself this much? Gunfire blazed all around them but Lucy kept them safe in a protective shield of swirling vectors as she stared into the beautiful eyes of the man she loved. She couldn't believe it…this couldn't be real.

"When…how…you can't! Kouta you…"

She was completely stunned silent. In her peripheral vision, she saw a few of the guns turning towards the Akane woman, who ran back into the relative safety of the facility's inner areas. Ryota followed her along with a handful of other soldiers, leaving Kouta and Lucy alone with the remainder of the men who stopped their shooting to reload.

"Lucy," he said, desperate relief in his voice, "you're alive! Thank god…"

"Kouta you shouldn't be here! You shouldn't have come here!"

She stared at him a moment longer, fear and shock still racing through her mind as her wide, stricken eyes dared around to take in every facial feature. Then she surged forward and kissed him desperately, clutching him roughly in her hands and holding him tightly as he reciprocated with equal fervor. He broke away abruptly, holding her shoulders tightly.

"Lucy…I followed you here. I took a boat from the wharf just like you did…Lucy I'm sorry. I had to do this. Even you should remember what I've always been willing to risk for the people I love. You should know that better than anyone."

And she really should have known.

He had been brave enough to stand up to her when she had killed his family…knowing she could have killed him with a mere thought. He had tried to shield her from bullets when she had been Nyuu for the last time. When she thought about it…REALLY thought about it…his presence here wasn't all that surprising. Once again, she had underestimated Kouta. One day, she would learn to stop making that mistake.

The soldiers were beginning to take aim once again.

"Lucy…remember what I said to you…before you left…"

She knew.

"Kouta…"

"I'm not afraid anymore Lucy. I'm not afraid of your power. You're not a monster. Believe what I'm saying to you Lucy…believe me…trust me."

Tears started to form in her eyes.

"Kouta…please mean that…"

The men chambered their rounds…

"I mean it Lucy…I love you. Nothing will ever change that now."

The order went out to fire.

"LUCY! DO IT!"

Placing herself in front of Kouta, she turned an icy glare on the survivors, and stalked towards them as she deflected every bullet fired. She was used to the weight of the bullets now and knew how to use her vectors to defend against these in particular. She could hear their fear driven screams even before the first one died.

* * *

><p>"What was that?" Ghost shouted into the radio, hardly daring to believe the report.<p>

"It's confirmed sergeant, the intruder that hit the armory is Bando. We lost him at the rear maintenance door. We're trying to get it open now, seems to be jammed with something. We've got a guy en route with a K-stick to cut the door. Suggest getting some guys to come in from the other direction and box him in."

_Bando! So you DID come here! You goddamn stupid motherfucker. I've got you now!_

He couldn't believe his luck, Bando. Here. What an idiot. Ghost would finally be able to close the book on Bando. He turned the channel on his radio and raised it to speak.

"This is Ghost, any squads not currently responding to other threats, proceed immediately to maintenance wing A. Intruder has been confirmed as the fugitive Bando, and is currently trapped inside. Anyone in the area please respond."

After a few moments the radio began to sound.

"Sergeant Rin, this is Ryota. There are no squads currently available. Everyone's dealing with other breaches and there are other prisoners unaccounted for. Advise any squad that's currently pursuing Bando to remain on high alert and track his movements. Steer him from sensitive areas until I can respond personally."

Fuck that, Bando was a joke. Ghost could handle Bando by himself…he'd show them…Bando wasn't to be feared.

"Negative Commander, I'll go subdue Bando myself. I can handle…"

"No you won't sergeant. Get your ass to the executive offices. Ghost Squad is waiting for you there. Most of the VIPs have been evacuated except one. Once you've done that, I need your squad to create a perimeter around the helipad and make sure nothing gets past you. When they're safely off the island, we'll start closing in on the intruders, and Bando."

Ghost kicked the wall in frustration and ran a hand roughly through his hair. Bando was going to escape while he fucked around babysitting those blue blood weaklings. Ghost wanted nothing more than to disobey Ryota's command. It had been the first time ever in his life that he had wanted to. He knew he couldn't, and wouldn't. Besides, he reasoned to himself, he had the girl that Bando was obviously looking for. If he wanted to find her, he'd have to find Ghost anyway. Sooner or later, Bando would come to him. Satisfied with that he turned around, laughing to himself as he walked towards the executive offices.

"I hear you laughing…I wonder if you got the joke…" a chilling feminine voice whispered from behind him.

The sound froze him and he felt a prickling in-between his shoulder blades. Slowly, he began to turn around. Once he did, he saw her standing there…the beast that Director Vanith had brought with him. Free…standing there in a pair of black pants, boots, and a blood soaked white sleeveless t-shirt that was obviously stolen from one of the S.A.T troops. She wore a pistol tucked into the pants. He couldn't see her face too well as it was obscured by her hair, which fell to her waist in such a way that it reminded Ghost of heavy rain falling. Her figure and muscular shape were toned to near perfection, and her body was coiled as if preparing to attack, yet she seemed completely at ease…and that look on her face…

…she was smiling…like she had smiled at him before. She had seen a weakness deep inside of him when he betrayed it to her by his reaction to her ghastly stare. It was a smile of a depraved soul, who was thinking about all the awful, unspeakable things they were about to do to a person to pleasure themselves; having no other purpose than that. She took a step towards him, he took a step back.

"Well? Did you get the joke…small…little…man?"

"W…what joke?"

She laughed at him, a sound full of mocking.

"You're a warden in a prison, and you dress strong and talk strong and act free. All of those uniformed weaklings did. But you're locked in it too, your cell is just a little bigger, extending to these hallways and those places they let you travel to. You're just as much a prisoner."

He couldn't speak. She took another step towards him and he took two steps back. He wanted to draw his gun but couldn't make his hands obey him. He was paralyzed somehow by the force of her being. Her confidence, her monstrous nature bared without pretense…it just felt like…

Like he knew he didn't stand a chance.

He felt as helpless before her stare as he did before the monsters when he had been a child. Her smile was like theirs, and her laughter was like theirs…

"Stay away from me you goddamn monster!"

"You're so frightened…I smell it like the stink of your worthless flesh…I love it."

In a sudden impulse, born from anger, he swiftly drew his .50 caliber pistol, loaded with tungsten rounds, and fired a shot at point blank range. As monstrous as she seemed, he knew none of those freaks could stand up to a shot from that gun at such close range. It made him feel powerful, like he had once felt as he watched Ryota's guns destroy the devil children from his past. The victorious image he held in his mind caused him to be slow in processing what he saw before him…what he STILL saw….

…she was standing there, a closed hand held in front of her face as if warding off a blow. Slowly she lowered her arm from her face and extended it towards him. Smiling until her teeth showed, she slowly opened her hand. There in her palm…was the bullet he fired.

It couldn't be. He didn't even see her move. And where were her vectors? He hadn't seen them extend at all. She was a Diclonius wasn't she? How did she do it? They weren't supposed to be able to stop tungsten. But she had just done that, at point blank range no less, against a high caliber pistol. He fired a second shot and his eyes couldn't follow the speed of her arm as she snatched the second bullet out of the air. What he could see however, were the coils of her vectors stretched along the length of her arms and legs like phantom muscles with veins of light. Fear gripped his heart…his weapon was useless, and he knew taking her on in physical combat would be impossible. He was completely defenseless…he would not be able to stop her if she wanted to kill him…powerless…helpless…weak…

"Do you know what the real joke is?" she asked, taking another step towards him. He backed up four paces, not daring to blink.

"The real joke is how all you fucks think you have the power. All you have are nice clothes and toys that make loud noises. Underneath all of that, you're all just victims waiting to happen."

His lower lip trembled and he saw dark pleasure in her eyes as she licked her lips.

"Let me show you…"

She clenched her fists and he saw the phantom muscles coil and tighten.

"…how easily you break."

The image of her savage smile and cruel eyes stamped themselves into his mind…

…and then the lights went out.

He heard a whisper in the dark…

"…Run motherfucker…"


	14. Blood

He tripped for the third time, and cried out in panic.

Hearing the wretched laughter behind him Ghost scrambled to his feet, feeling his way around in the dark as he kept running in the general direction of the executive offices. There were soldiers there, heavily armed and numerous…they would save him…

He heard gunshots behind him and felt bullets flying past his head and he screamed involuntarily. The Beast behind him fired three more times at the ground near his feet, and he saw sparks fly. Pointing his gun behind him as he ran, he returned fire without aiming, for all the good it would do. The monster wasn't even slowed or slightly put off by his weapon's fire. If anything, it just amused her as she would laugh and taunt him each time he dared put up a weak defense.

"I'm over here! Why don't you turn around and aim!"

He suddenly heard her footsteps increase dramatically, as if her run speed had just increased two fold. Fear ripped through him as the sound of those footsteps in the dark reached him in just two seconds. He felt strong hands grab the shirt at his back and lift him off the ground. He was then swung around and hurled into a wall fifty feet away, the impact popping his shoulder out of joint. Trying to ignore the pain he scrambled once again to his feet, picking up his gun, and screamed in terrified rage as he pulled the trigger over and over, the flash of his gun blinding in the total darkness. With each flash that lit up the hallway, he saw her standing there, a cruel open mouthed smile on her face. With the forth and fifth flash, he could see her aiming her own pistol at him. He turned to run as she opened fire upon him, laughing wildly. He felt a bullet pierce his calf and screamed as he collapsed to the ground.

The Beast made a mocking sound of sympathy, followed by the sound of her reloading the gun. She walked towards him and he scrambled away from her.

"Come here…" she said in that mocking sympathetic tone, "I'll make it better…I'll make it all stop."

"NO! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME! PLEASE…"

"OH PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP!" she screamed amidst bouts of laughter, her voice carrying louder than his own, "SOMEONE HELP THIS MAN! HE'S GOING TO DIE! HEEEELLLPPPPP!"

He raised his gun to fire once again but heard the dreaded click. He had known that his bullets were ineffective against her, but shooting back had made him feel at least somewhat in control of his fate. Now he was out of ammo…and his helplessness could no longer be denied. He felt her kneel over him and grab his hair with one hand. He tried to peel her hands off of him but she slapped his hands away.

"sshhh….sshhhhh…stop fighting."

"NO! NO! JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!"

"You're so loud…I always make my men loud. It's how I know they like me."

He felt something like knives slicing into his back, even though her hands were busy holding him up. He screamed in pain as he felt warm blood crawl down his back.

"That's it…tell me you like it…"

"FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

He heard her moan in pleasure as her breath became husky, those phantom knives digging deeper into his back. Then her own hands were there, finding their way to the wounds, and pushing inside his skin. His renewed screams filled the hallway as he tried to lift his arms to fight her off but found he couldn't move them. She was holding him down with her vectors. Just when he thought he was going to pass out from the agony, she abruptly stopped, and roughly lifted him back up by his shirt.

"That was fun…run some more. I want to do it again…"

He felt himself flung through the air, this time at least a hundred feet away, and landed on his wounded back, tearing another cry of pain from him. He couldn't believe it, she had released him, and they were nearly at the position of his squad. He felt renewed confidence in knowing that once he reached them, she would come around the corner and be decimated by an entire squadron of elite troops. With that thought fueling him, he rose to his feet and continued to run, tripping once again as he heard more gunfire behind him and tried to keep his head down. His pulse was racing as he tried with all his might to stay ahead of her, fumbling around in the dark.

Suddenly, the red emergency lights came on, illuminating his pathway. He picked up speed now that he knew where he was going and looked behind him to see how far away the monster was. The sight he was greeted with almost paralyzed him with horror. She was running…

…along the wall.

She kicked off from the wall and shot towards him like a missile, spinning in midair to land a powerful kick at his chest, sending him flying. Hitting the ground, he rolled for a few feet before coming to a stop. As he looked up, the sight before him almost made him cry out in relief. His men were there, set up in formation awaiting his arrival to escort the last director from the facility. They appeared to be having trouble with a bulkhead door that had apparently shut during the lockdown. With the power cut, the door control for it would be offline necessitating a manual override, which was obviously taking time. He fell down once as he scrambled to his feet, but quickly recovered and ran for the relative safety of his men.

"Sir? What the hell?"

"She's right behind me! Kill her! Kill her!"

"Who is?" a cultured, feminine voice with a French accent answered from somewhere in front of him. Stepping away from a cluster of men was Director Celine Lacroix, "just what is going on here sergeant?"

"Get that fucking door open!" Ghost screamed, ignoring Director Lacroix. He shoved one of the soldiers out of the way as he knelt down to attempt to work the manual override. He didn't really know how to work that door, but terror had emptied his mind of all reason.

"Sergeant Rin I demand you compose yourself right now and report! What is going on?"

"Fuck!" he yelled out, standing back up. He pointed at the soldier he knocked down, "fix that fucking door!"

"SERGEANT RIN!" Director Lacroix screamed, and then slapped him. He felt a wild urge to beat her to a bloody pulp, or pull his gun on her, but the sight of her state of dress made him instinctively associate her with authority and his superior. Duty was always his first priority, and it was easy to understand. It jarred him into a calmer state, although his heart still beat wildly with fear.

"Director," he said shakily, "one of the Diclonius are loose. It's been stalking me down here, she's…"

"…oh god," he heard her whisper, as she put a hand over her mouth, "…it's her."

Ghost turned around and saw the Beast standing there in the hallway, every gun trained on her. Even in the dark red light, with her hair flung in front of her face, he could see the monstrous smile; her teeth showing and something wild in her eyes.

"Number 5?" Director Lacroix said out loud to her, "how…did you escape? You know Erich will be very displeased with you."

"Don't you dare say his name bitch. He belongs to me. He was mine first."

What…the fuck was this monster on? What the hell was Director Vanith doing with this one? Ghost took the moment to reload his pistol. He was going to need it.

Celine started laughing, and Ghost wanted to choke her into silence. She thought she was safe hiding behind a platoon of men. Honestly, Ghost had expected to feel safe as well, but the way the Beast stood and handled herself; the way she smiled and the easy confidence her manner exuded…he had a horrible feeling that none of them were safe.

"You're being silly Number 5. He is your handler and you should show more respect than that. Haven't you been taught better? What Erich and I do is none of your concern. You should surrender now or these men will have to put you down. You don't want that. I don't want that. You're very important to our cause Number 5. There are rewards in it for you should you continue to cooperate."

The monster clenched her fists and a look of unbridled rage filled her eyes.

"Stop calling me that…"

"Oh? He never told me your name. It must not have been important."

Why wouldn't this bitch shut up? Ghost placed himself in front of Director Lacroix but she pushed him aside. Un fucking believable. This chick was having a pissing contest with THAT monster? He once again saw the phantom muscles on the Beast coil and tighten. Ghost raised his gun, and the movement prompted the soldiers to chamber their rounds, preparing to fire.

The Beast smiled, "he named me Angel…it was my name first. And I want it back."

A look of sick horror crossed Celine's face, Ghost didn't understand.

"I'm coming for you Celine…you should have listened to Erich…"

"Kill her!" Ghost screamed.

Angel set her feet, and launched into a full run towards the soldiers, screaming in bestial fury as they opened fire upon her. Ghost expected to see her vectors fly out to defend herself, but she instead leapt to the wall with blinding speed, dodging the bullets. She then kicked off to the other side of the wall with enough speed and force to allow her to run along its side for a few steps, enabling her to dodge another hail of bullets. He then saw her vectors fly out to push against the ceiling, making her body fly towards the ground in a tumbling roll, dodging another stream of fire. Ghost couldn't believe her speed and skill. She was a mere five paces from the first man in the squad.

"Fucking stop her!"

Coming to her feet, Angel ripped the pistol from her waist and fired twice into the face of the first man to aim their weapon at her, spraying his brain matter on nearby soldiers. She closed the distance and ran among them, dropping her pistol and beginning to disarm nearby soldiers with lightening fast movements. She seemed to have eyes in the back of her head; her every economical move having a purpose. Two men at her back raised their pistols to her head, but Angel jumped and kicked off the body of a man in front of her, carrying her behind the two men who had their pistols aimed. When they fired, they accidentally killed the man in front. Angel aimed a punch at the spine of one man, cracking it, and lifted the other, using him as a battering ram to slam against a group of men, kicking the gun from the hands of a man to her side as she released the body of the thrown soldier.

As three soldiers aimed their assault rifles, Angel yanked the closest man within her reach and placed him in front of her, letting him take the rain of bullets as she jumped once to land on his shoulders, and jumped again, spinning in midair as she caught the machine gun she'd kicked into the air. Her vectors shot out to either side of the wall, holding her aloft, as she mowed down the three armed soldiers until the weapon ran out of ammo. Ghost almost laughed at the irony of the armor piercing bullets meant for the Diclonius being used to shred through his own men's body armor...by a Diclonius. How the hell did she know how to use guns?

Ghost aimed at her and began firing wildly, but she had seen him and dropped to the ground among the remaining squad members. Realizing guns were not working, Ghost Squad began going for their combat knives and closed in on her. Ghost looked over at Director Lacroix who had her hands in her hair, a look of disbelief and horror in her face as she watched Angel fight.

Men with knives closed in on her and the first one thrust his arm out. Angel ducked under it and lifted her hands to slam them down on his elbow, breaking it as she kicked the knee out from another man, making his lunge falter. She grabbed his shoulder and used him as leverage to run up the side of the wall and kick off to a soldier on the other side of the hallway, grabbing his neck and swinging around, breaking it, and retrieving his knife before it fell from his hand, using it immediately to block a flurry of knife swings from new attackers.

Ghost entered the fray, aiming his gun to fire upon her, but she seemed to notice him from her peripheral vision, collapsing to the ground with feline grace to dodge the first bullet, then leaping into the air in a twirling spin as he fired at the ground. In the midst of her spin, she threw the knife at him where it lodged in his shoulder. Hitting the ground she backhanded the gun out of his hand and punched him hard in the chest where he wore body armor. From the look on her face and how far she reared her arm back, he knew he had been hit with her full strength. It had felt like he took a shotgun blast at point blank range as he was carried through the air, slamming against the bulkhead. Director Lacroix screamed as Ghost slumped to the ground, too wounded and stunned to keep fighting. Judging from the pain in his chest, he knew his ribs were broken.

"COME ON!" Angel screamed with an animalistic fury, using her vectors to carry two knives towards her, readying herself for a new attack upon the survivors. Ghost saw those phantom muscles coil once again, the only warning before the assault.

Once again, she ran with full speed towards the remaining soldiers where flashing blades were all Ghost could see. She swung and thrust, darting and leaping over soldiers, moving faster than his eye could follow as she killed again and again, drawing blood with each thrust and screams with every slash. One man actually managed to grab her arm and from her sudden wicked smile, he knew she had wanted him to. Ghost wanted to cry out a warning but it was too late. The man who grabbed her tried to stab her chest but she swung her arm out to push his knife arm into his own stomach, under the armor, grabbing with both her arms and ripping up, disemboweling him. Moving her head slightly, she dodged a knife lunge meant for her face, and leapt into the air, drawing her attacker's pistol from his holster as she rose into the air, then kicked him back against the wall, emptying the weapon into his face as she landed, then letting it fall to the floor.

Ghost couldn't believe what he was witnessing. There were only five men left…Angel was decimating Ghost Squad…his squad…killing every one of them as easily as breathing. One of them fell to his knees to beg for mercy, and she promptly slit his throat, kicking him aside like he was trash to her. Four left now…

Ghost looked at her in the hell born red light and could see her covered in blood from head to toe, licking it off her lips, but her hands were completely dry…she was somehow using her vectors to shake the blood away so her grip would remain solid on her combat knives. Even in the red light he could distinguish the gore on her shirt and arms, and where it made her hair heavy with it. She looked worse than a monster, she was the Devil herself…a raging demon…

"Runnn!" Ghost screamed to his men, "get out of here!"

"No," Angel whispered, death in her eyes, violence in her sickening smile, "no escape…"

She rushed for the final time, two vectors ripping the armor off two men, then slashing wide with her knives and slitting the guts of the men with a single swing. Only one man tried to fight back with a lunge of his knife which she stopped by stabbing both of hers into his forearms and ripping the blades up his arm to the shoulder, kicking him away as he screamed, trying to staunch the blood pouring like a river out of his arm which had been practically filleted from the bone. The last survivor backed up to the wall, dropping his knife. Ghost could see that the man had wet himself…he honestly didn't blame him.

"Please…" he cried out, trembling violently.

"I love it when they beg for it…beg more…tell me how much you want it!"

She stabbed him in the stomach and he screamed

"PLLLEEASSSEEEEE!"

Angel hooked a leg around him and forced his hand between her legs as she twisted the knife. He screamed in agony, and she screamed in rapture.

"OH GODDDDDD!" the soldier cried out in terror. Angel laughed wildly as she jerked against him…seeming to climax as she ripped the knife the rest of the way up his body, disemboweling him and letting his innards spill against her as he fell to the floor dead.

They were all dead…

Ghost Squad was gone…

Dead and bloody on the ground. Gore covered the floor, walls, and ceiling. It was like a scene from hell…

…a scene from his childhood.

Katsuo cowered in the corner, trembling from pain and fear as he watched Angel survey the carnage all around her. The distant alarm was still going off, but there were no sounds of soldiers coming. No one to help him. Even if reinforcements had shown up now, Katsuo doubted that they would make any difference. Angel would just kill them too. She would kill and kill and kill and kill and kill and kill…

"Oh Erich…" Angel whispered, "I wish you could see this."

She then turned to Katsuo and smiled, slowly walking towards him. His heart beat frantically in his chest and he tried to draw himself further into the corner, small wails of panic issuing from his throat with each breath. She straddled him when she got close and put her ear to his lips.

"Theeeerrree you go…just let it out…"

"p…ple…."

"sshhh, don't say it. I already know what's on your mind. I told you didn't I? You break so easily. I really must thank you for leading me to Celine. I heard you on your radio you know. I knew if I scared you enough, you'd run for safety…towards your little gathering here. Towards the directors…towards her."

He didn't care. There was no room in his mind for shame or anger. All he knew was that he didn't want to die. Angel stood up and he was sure this was it. She was going to kill him. Instead, she turned towards Director Lacroix, who was cowering in the corner on the other side of the bulkhead door. Angel tossed one of her knives away, but held the other with a firm and steady grip as she slowly approached Celine.

"Where…is…Erich?" Angel said, her raspy voice cold as ice.

"I'll…I'll never tell you! You're a monster! I won't let you hurt him!"

Angel knelt down in front of Celine and guided the knife inside of her skirt as she panted with terror. Angel began to cut the fabric up until she had completely cut Celine's clothes off, then proceeded to cut away her bra and panties.

"S…stop!"

"Where is he, bitch?"

"I…can't…I won't."

"You can…you will."

She raised the knife…then Katsuo buried his face in his hands. He didn't want to see, wouldn't let himself look. All he could hear now were sounds of fear and panted cries from Celine.

Suddenly an ear splitting scream wrenched through the air and Katsuo curled up tighter. He thought he heard ripping and sawing sounds; each sound followed by a new scream at a higher pitch. After a few more seconds, the screaming turned into loud ragged crying as Katsuo heard something fleshy slap onto the ground near him. He wouldn't look…wouldn't dare look…

"Tell me where he is…or I'll cut the other one off."

"PLEASE DON'T! PLEASE DON'T!"

"Fucking tell me! Right now!"

Another horrifying scream, occasionally interrupted as if someone were jerking Celine with something…he knew it was the knife. He didn't want to know what Angel was doing with it. After some time, the screaming stopped and Katsuo heard the sound of rummaging in clothes; likely Celine feeling around in her clothes for something. Her pain filled cries filled the blood drenched, nightmare hallway.

"I'm sorry Erich…I'm so sorry Erich…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

"You loved him…didn't you?"

"Yes!"

Silence for a moment. The tension in the air was like laying under the guillotine and wondering when the blade was going to drop. For a long moment there was no sound but Celine's crying, echoing through the empty halls. He then heard a crinkling of paper.

"So…he's here."

"y…yes…"

Daring to part his fingers slightly, Katsuo looked at Angel and saw her staring at a piece of paper. She raised the hand which still held the blood stained knife and touched the writing with two fingers.

"Y…you…you do don't you?" he heard Celine whisper painfully. Angel's face contorted into something like rage…but…it was different.

"You…lov…"

Angel swung her arm in a wide arc and suddenly Celine's cries stopped. There was a heavy thump on the ground…then silence. Katsuo covered his face again as Angel began to stand up. He heard footsteps coming towards him, and then stop.

"Look at you," she whispered in contentment, "you're like a baby out of the womb. Trembling and covered in blood. Weak and helpless…"

"Don't kill me…"

"Ssshhhh…don't worry. You get to survive this. I hope we get to play again…little…man."

He heard her walk away and uncovered his eyes, seeing her pause at the corner to look at him one last time, her face completely painted in shadows. Then she vanished, her echoing footsteps fading into silence.

He didn't know how long he was laying there, but the entire time he was there, all he could think about was how he had run and hid for many days in a nightmare town of blood and murder. He had never gotten used to the fear then, and he couldn't get used to it now. She was right…he was broken. Things like Lucy and Bando were so far from his mind, and at one point, sitting down in a pool of Celine's blood, he had the insane notion that he would actually be glad to see Bando. At least he was an enemy who offered a clean brutality. Even if he had beaten Katsuo, he would have offered a quick death.

Suddenly, the lights came back on, and Katsuo felt blinded by the white light. It seemed the backup generators had finally been activated. The bulkhead door behind him opened automatically…as if to mock him. As his eyes focused, he saw clearly for the first time the carnage before him. The hallway was a lake of blood and bodies, entrails strewn about carelessly, bullet casings peppering the scene. At least two men weren't all the way dead yet, and lay where they'd fallen, bleeding to death. As they lights came on however, it was as though it were a signal that they could finally give up…and did so, breathing their last in the cruel naked light. The man in front of him who had his wrist so savagely cut to the shoulder was dead as well, unseeing eyes fixed in Katsuo's direction, his hand outstretched as if hoping Katsuo would save him.

All dead…all his men dead…and he wouldn't even look at Director Lacroix…Angel had saved the worst for her. He knew it…the screams were still ripping through his mind.

His body screamed in pain. He knew he was shattered, body and mind. All alone in the company of death with no one to save him. There had been no rescue, no hero…just a psychotic killer and a great mass of death. No hope…no mercy. All around him he saw the aftermath of combat in a way he had never known it before. His battles with Ghost Squad had always been rather one sided, or at least closely matched even if it was a sure thing that he and his men would come out on top. The cleanup of the dead and the aftermath were things that never concerned him. He was always the victor, and could calmly walk away from the scenes of death he had often been responsible for.

Not this time…

This time, he was the loser, and he lost so much more than the battle. He felt everything slipping away from him; his pride, his title, his purpose, his strength. Angel had ripped it all away from him so quickly…was it ever real at all? He was broken…

Suddenly he heard a number of footsteps coming towards his direction. He cringed involuntarily. Coming around the corner was Ryota with a handful of troops who stopped cold upon reaching the scene of slaughter. Horror and revulsion filled Ryota's face, but recovering quickly he ordered the men down another hallway.

"I'll handle this, get after her. Don't allow her to escape."

What? They were chasing Angel? No!

"NO!" Katsuo screamed, "don't go after her! She'll kill you…she'll…"

The soldiers paused for a moment, looking at him in disgust…or maybe they were disgusted by the scene before them…he told himself it was the latter. Maybe one day, he'd even believe it. They ran down the hall, leaving Katsuo alone with Ryota who slowly approached him, stepping carefully over dead bodies, and walking in pools of blood.

"Katsuo," he whispered, "my god…what happened here?"

"She…that monster…escaped…killed…all my…" he was crying…Ryota's presence snapped something in him and he felt himself completely revert to that child he once was. Ryota was safety to Katsuo…he was the strong warrior that he had always wanted to be…so that he wouldn't be afraid of monsters anymore. But he had failed, the monsters still ripped away at his soul. And he knew this monster would live forever in his nightmares.

Ryota reached him and knelt down, gathering Katsuo in his arms.

"You'll be alright…Ghost. Only your body is broken…don't let her take your mind."

"I can't help it…I couldn't do anything…I tried Ryota…I fucking tried…she was too…"

"Enough now…"

Katsuo wrapped his arms tightly around Ryota and let go, sobbing into his shoulder.

He tried to draw some strength from his comfort, and perhaps he truly was. He would try to keep his mind…because Ryota asked it of him. His strength would return one day soon, but for now…he was just little Katsuo…surrounded by the dead…Ryota his only savior in an endless night.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>Due to an injury I sustained in my hand recently, writing is going to take a short backseat while I recover (currently writing this with one hand). shouldnt be longer than a week but with the other things on my plate, the next update will likely be a while in coming. Thank you again for all the encouragement, it means a lot!


	15. Leaving Innocence

**AN:** Sorry for the length of time between updates. My hand has healed well enough to write again, and I've been taking care of what obstacles remain in my path that prevent me from writing this. The next few updates may still be a bit slow (due to said obstacles) but hopefully not as long as this one was, as I'm starting to get back into the swing of things. I very much hope this chapter has been worth the wait. Thanks for all the well wishes regarding my injury ^_^.

* * *

><p>The lights flashed on without warning.<p>

Bando threw a hand over his eyes and crouched down, shielding Mayu behind him as he squinted to see down the hallway. That would be the backup generators, Bando figured. This would mean that whatever disarray the blackout caused, the rest of the soldiers would be getting their shit together. Bando knew he had exhausted all of his aces. They had to get out of there now, despite what Mayu had wanted to do. Mayu had led him back to the cell block where she had left Nana but she was nowhere to be found. He understood Mayu's desperation, he really did, but that didn't mean they could just comb the entire facility for Nana. The Institute was on alert and knew both of them were at large in its depths. They didn't have any more time for a search and rescue.

As he and Mayu had run through the dark corridors, Bando had begun remembering a little of the Institute's layout. It was enough to begin steering them towards the ship landing and they were getting close now. As long as their luck held out a little longer, they could make it outside without too much incident. If they were cut off now by any soldiers, it was very likely that the two of them would get pushed further into the facility, and Bando was running out of bullets. They had to make it…he had come too far…they both had. He gripped his pistol tighter. It was the only weapon he had left. Two clips remaining, it would have to be enough.

"Bando," Mayu said aloud with a tone of worry.

"Don't worry Mayu, we're not far now. Just stay close and keep your head down."

He pressed himself against a wall and raised his pistol as he peered around a corner. Didn't seem to be anyone coming…

"She's got to be here," Mayu whispered in a desolate voice, "I can't just…"

Bando took Mayu's hand and they ran across the hallway, stopping once they got out of sight.

"Mayu listen, you did what you could. We went back, she wasn't there, and she didn't leave a trail. Don't start blaming yourself, that shit'll get you killed right now."

He saw Mayu try once again to collect herself, and knew she'd fail again. Under normal conditions he would have been intensely annoyed, but her sorrow reminded him too much of himself. He found himself wishing he could make time to keep searching, if only to give her another chance to banish the anguish she was feeling, but there just wasn't time.

_Can't always right the wrongs but…_

"Mayu…listen to me. We have to get out of here. There is nothing we can do now, but if we survive this…there's a chance for revenge. It won't bring her back, but it's better than nothing."

"I don't want revenge…I just want Nana to be ok…"

He took her hand and raised his pistol as they kept moving. He didn't want to keep arguing the point because he would have to keep telling Mayu that her friend was probably going to die in here, which she absolutely was. No way she'd be able to last long in a facility full of soldiers trained to fight her kind. Perhaps if she had been Lucy she'd have a chance, but she was an untrained kid…

Lucy…

He was going to be having a talk with Mayu about that once this was over with. Lucy was alive…and there was still a score to settle. He knew no freak accident would have been enough to take her down. Should have known that was a load of bullshit when he heard it. Lucy wasn't going to die in any other way than his bullet through her brain. That was the only way it was going to end.

_Just wait for me you bitch. The next time we meet, I'm taking you down._

Suddenly, at the intersection ahead, two soldiers appeared, staring down the hall with their backs to Bando and Mayu.

"They said she'd be coming this way. Take her down the second she comes around the corner."

Bando didn't have time for this.

He raised his pistol and opened fire, two bullets per soldier, killing them efficiently. Of course, anyone within earshot would probably be heading towards the sounds of the shots. Bando rushed to the dead soldiers, holstering his pistol, and grabbed one of their assault rifles, checking the magazine and chambering a round.

"Alright Mayu, they'll have heard that, we've got to fucking move, let's…"

"NANA!" Mayu screamed in disbelief. Bando instinctively raised his weapon to point straight ahead and saw her…

_Well…son of a bitch. _

While he was sure Nana hadn't really known where she was going, Bando should have figured the best chance they'd have had to run into her would be here, in the direction of the ship landing and the only way off the island. Security had been all but completely pulled away from that area so Nana would have likely wound up here just by virtue of dodging security elsewhere. Convenient enough.

"Bando stop! Put the gun down!"

Oh…he was still holding the gun on Nana who had slammed to a halt, frozen in shock with eyes only for Mayu. He lowered the weapon and breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like a weight off of his own conscience; they wouldn't have to leave without Nana. Bando still felt rather uneasy about dealing with a Diclonius in any way other than just shooting them, but for Mayu he would do this.

"Oh Nana…I'm so sorry I ran…I'm so sorry!"

Bando looked at Nana and cringed despite himself. Someone had had a bit of sick fun with her. Her face was caked in dried blood and was discolored in places from excessive bruising. He had a pretty good idea who was responsible for that. Guilt washed through him at the sight as he recalled times when he had been no better than Ghost…

…wait, what did he have to feel guilty about? They were monsters….

…but this monster was crying, and he recognized the emotions on her face. They were as human as anything else in the world. There were tears and emotion born of regret…regret of being something you couldn't help being.

Killer.

Monster.

What was the difference? If fate had put a gun in her hand instead of vectors in her mind, would she be less monstrous if she chose to pull a trigger instead?

"Mayu…please…don't hate me…you mean so much to me…please don't hate me…"

He looked at the bruises on her face, and remembered hearing Ghost hit Mayu over the phone earlier that evening. It didn't take horns to be a monster, or lack of them to be human.

"I don't hate you Nana! I was just scared. But I'm not scared anymore, I won't ever leave you again. I'm so sorry I left you alone."

It was then that Nana noticed Bando standing there, staring at her. She looked at him for a long time; her wounded face a silent indictment of the hypocrisy of mankind. For once, it was not lost on him. His overwhelming need to punish and kill the Diclonius had faded in the months he spent with Mayu, believing Lucy to be dead. He would still destroy Lucy, not because she was a Diclonius, but because they had a score to settle. Simple as that.

"This is what happens to us everywhere isn't it?" Nana said to him, "we're not welcome anywhere right? Is it right that they do this to us?"

Fresh tears leaked from Nana's face and mixed with the blood that remained on her cheeks.

"He called me a killer…and I killed someone. He's right…I am a killer. Is this why we don't deserve to live?"

How could he answer her? Bando was a killer, and he often felt he did not deserve to live. He did not believe in the right to his own life, so how could he convince Nana of her right to live? Silence fell between them. Bando knew he should say something…Nana was waiting for it. Did she really want an answer from him?

He felt Mayu's hand gently take his forearm as she looked imploringly into his eyes. From the corner of his vision, he saw Nana's eyes follow Mayu's hand, and a pained expression twist her facial features.

"You…know him?" Nana whispered.

"YOU know him Nana?"

Frustrated anger filled Nana's eyes, "do you want me to die like he does!"

"What? Nana what are you saying…"

"What have I ever done to deserve this pain? All I ever did was try to be good, and all anyone ever does in this miserable world is make me hurt, scared, and tell me I should never have been born! I didn't ask to be born! If they didn't want me, why did they let me live? Why…"

She closed her eyes and held something up to her face which looked like an audio tape.

"Could you have told me?" she whispered to herself. Anger filling her eyes again, she looked back at Bando and Mayu.

"Nana please," Mayu wailed, "I don't want you to die, please just come with us! We have to get out of here!"

"Why? So he can shoot me?"

"Why do you keep saying that? Bando doesn't want to kill you!" she turned to Bando, a pleading expression on her face, "right Bando? You don't…you don't want to kill her."

"Why shouldn't he want to? HE ALREADY TRIED!"

Bando's heart stopped, and he almost dropped his gun. Stricken he could only watch as Mayu backed up a few steps.

"It's not true…Bando it's not true…is it? Tell me it's not true…"

He deserved this…he was reaping what he had sown. He realized that this was the real reason he had not wanted to find Nana. It seemed so unfair…he was only starting to regain his humanity.

But he was a monster, and as he himself had told Nana…monsters weren't welcome anywhere. All he could do was stare helplessly at Mayu.

"Mayu…I…"

"no…" she whispered, heartbreak showing in her eyes.

Bando closed his eyes.

"I made a mistake Mayu…but I have no excuse."

Mayu slowly shook her head as she stared at Bando. She opened her mouth to speak and Bando thought he saw her start to raise her hand towards him…no…just wishful thinking.

Before he could discern whether or not she was reaching out for him, the frantic sound of footsteps running caught the attention of all. Bando whirled around behind him to aim his rifle and found himself face to face with an attractive woman in a billowing red shirt and long black skirt. Who dresses like that in here? What, was this place hosting a fucking prom?

Wait…

"Don't shoot!" the woman exclaimed…that voice. He knew that voice. It came from his radio earlier that afternoon.

"You," Bando exclaimed, "you're Arakawa. The chick on the radio."

Her body went slack with shock, "you…you HEARD me?"

Well shit, this party was just getting bigger and bigger. Wonderful. Arakawa recovered quickly.

"Nevermind, I need your help. We've got to go back to…"

"Oh no, fuck that a hundred times. WE'RE getting the hell out of here. You're either in, or out, but I'm done with the side trips. I don't know if you've noticed but the ENTIRE FUCKING FACILITY is on alert, and we are in a large group."

"You don't understand! Kakuzawa…he…"

Her eyes drifted to Nana, then to her horns.

"Fuck!" She screamed as shouldered Bando aside, pointing a pistol at Nana.

"Get back you goddamn freak!"

If he thought he had seen pain in Nana's eyes before, what he saw there now went beyond anguish. Bando shoved Arakawa's gun arm down.

"No!" he yelled, "don't…"

"Damn you let me go! They'll kill us all! That's all they do!"

"Goddamn it shut the fuck up!"

Nana turned around and began to run away.

"Nana wait!" Mayu cried out, and began running after her. At that moment, he saw red lights begin to flash in the hallway and realized they were standing in a compartmentalized hallway with bulkhead security doors, and one of those doors was closing…

…behind Nana and Mayu.

"NO!" Bando screamed and ran after them, but it was too late, the bulkhead slamming shut before he could get there. He kicked it three times in frustration and screamed in anger. He then dropped his rifle and began pounding on it again and again, venting his frustration, his shame, his self loathing. He was going to fail again…and this time the price of his failure would be too high to live with.

"MAYU!" he screamed, letting go of the control he placed over his feelings. It was like nothing else existed except the pain, and the wall that separated them…physical and emotional. He felt powerless before both of those barriers. How could it have all gone so wrong so fast? He had to get the door open…before they were found…before…they both were killed. He slammed both fists onto the door and swore loudly, gritting his teeth.

"Move," he heard Arakawa say roughly.

Bando turned around and saw understanding, and an apology in her eyes. That understanding passed between them for a moment before she once again repeated her command to move.

"Why?"

"Because I can get that door open, but you're standing in front of the override panel."

Bando looked down and saw a bulge in the door with a small keypad next to it. Arakawa walked up and pushed him aside as she knelt down and began working at the keypad.

"Shit…you, give me your knife."

"It's Bando," he said to her as he handed her his combat knife, "the name's Bando."

"I'd introduce myself but I guess you already know who I am. Get down that hallway and keep a lookout, this might take a minute or two."

Using the knife she detached the keypad and gently lifted it away from the door. Reaching behind it to the wires, she made a few adjustments and punched in a few numbers on the keypad, causing the bulge to detach from the main door, reveling a control panel. Arakawa began to busy herself with it but stopped to look at him.

"Go! None of this is going to matter if a few stray bullets come down this hallway and find this console or my head."

"Just hurry up with the door."

"Bando…I'm going to try but this is a mess…I…"

She closed her eyes and swore silently before turning back to the door and working on the control panel. Bando walked to the end of the hallway, his assault rifle steady in his hands. He sorely wished he had not used the last of his K-sticks and it took supreme effort not to run back to the door and hound Arakawa, or simply beat upon the door again. He could have cheerfully shot her for threatening Mayu, but she did not do anything that he himself had not done, and worse besides. They had to be ok…they just had to be…

Even if Mayu would forever hate him, he would still be there for her, he knew. Atonement was a road of suffering with no reprieve or rewards other than knowing things have been set right.

It was all that was left for someone like him. Making things right.

* * *

><p>"Nana stop! Please stop!"<p>

Mayu ran down the hallway as she heard the large door slam shut behind her, cutting her off from Bando and the strange woman. There was nothing in her mind except for the overwhelming need to get her friend back. She had to make her see. Had to let her know she didn't hate her.

It didn't take long to catch up as Nana's concentration slipped and she fell to the ground, one of her synthetic legs detaching and rolling towards Mayu. She threw her hands over her mouth for a moment, then quickly recovered, retrieving Nana's leg and running towards her. Nana was already trying to get up when Mayu reached her and knelt down beside her, dropping the leg and grabbing her shoulders.

"Nana look at me! LOOK AT ME!"

"I can't," she wailed miserably.

Mayu took Nana's face in her hands and turned her head to face Mayu's gaze. Nana looked away with her eyes and tears leaked from them.

"I'm sorry Nana. I shouldn't have run away from you, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes I did…you saw what I did. I tortured that man…I didn't even know I was going to do it until I did it…I'm afraid of myself Mayu. What if they're right about me? What if I am just a murderous monster and any moment I can snap and hurt the people I love? Everyone says I'm a monster. That awful man who hurt me said it, the man you were with said it…that women said it…"

Nana shook as she cried silently, "you think I'm a monster too. You don't have to lie…it's ok…I know what I am now. I thought Papa's words would help me be strong, but the only thing I feel is that maybe even he was wrong…I…"

Shame crawled through Mayu. If only she hadn't run away…

"Nana that's not true! I don't think you're a monster. And Bando…he…"

She couldn't make sense of it at first. Bando had tried to kill Nana? She should be furious with Bando, even hate him. But she just couldn't, because she knew why. It was a shock to learn the truth at first but she knew it was Bando's hatred of Lucy which made it easy for him to hate all Diclonius. It didn't make it right, but there was so many things in their lives which weren't right. It wasn't right that Nana had to kill, it wasn't right that Lucy had done what she'd done to Bando, and Nana. It hadn't been right lying to everyone about her friendship with Bando. Right and wrong had become muddy concepts over the course of her life, eclipsed by love and devotion. People weren't perfect, and some were as far as one could get from it. Bando was not an evil man, as much as he tried to pretend at being one at first. She had felt his heart almost from the beginning. She realized she could not blame him, even for his attempt on Nana's life. Could she articulate her reasoning for this to Nana? Would she dare tell her? Would this divide them? A pit grew in her stomach at the prospect of being faced with a choice between them. She wanted to save Nana, but she loved Bando. Would she be unable to do one, without failing in the other?

"Do you still hate Lucy?" she asked Nana.

Nana met her gaze, a questioning look upon her face.

"What?"

"Do you still hate her for what she's done to you? Do you still want to kill her?"

"I…"

Mayu wasn't going to make this easy for her, because it wasn't easy for Mayu. She held up the prosthetic leg for Nana to view.

"Do you Nana?"

"I…I don't know…I don't know…"

"You don't!" Mayu insisted, reattaching the leg to Nana, "why don't you?"

She saw the conflict and emotion playing across her face as her eyes darted around, almost as if searching for an elusive answer that she could simply grab with her hand.

"Because…she's been trying so hard. She's been trying to make up for everything even though she knows she can't give back what she took away. I want to hate her, and sometimes I have to try really hard to make myself do it. But she's there for me anyway. She's a completely different person from the Lucy I remember. I don't even miss Nyuu anymore."

"She changed, and all those people that said you were a monster? They were wrong about you weren't they? You didn't try to hurt anyone when you were living with us. Bando was wrong about you, and he's not the same, just like Lucy is not the same anymore. He came with me to find you, he was trying to help me save you Nana."

"But he shot at me Mayu…he…then…you ran and I…"

Nana looked desperately conflicted. Mayu had to do something, say something to bring Nana back to her. She could tell that her words thus far weren't doing enough to reach her…what could she do?

She saw Nana's focus sharpen suddenly and before Mayu knew what was going on, she was flung away from Nana back into the hallway. Nana stood up and walked forward through an intersection in the hallway where there was a reception desk and office rooms straight ahead. Nana walked as if though she were going to her own execution, and when Mayu saw the soldier appear around the corner with his gun trained on Nana, she knew that was exactly what she was doing. Nana must have heard the man coming and threw Mayu out of sight. Nana's head was lowered and Mayu barely registered the shouted commands of the armed man. Resignation was in Nana's every movement, and Mayu knew. Nana wasn't going to fight back, she had merely thrown Mayu away so she could hide.

Nana was going to let herself be killed rather than horrify Mayu again.

_No…I can't let you do this…I…_

Slowly…absently…she reached towards her waist…

…for the gun.

* * *

><p>Anxiety was roaring through Bando as he kept guard at the end of the hallway. So much anxiety that he almost missed the furtive sounds of footsteps approaching. He flattened back against the wall, and edged near the corner. The footsteps sounded like one or two men, though the second set of footsteps had a dragging motion to them. The pace in which the men were walking didn't sound like the urgency of a patrol. Perhaps one of them was wounded? So much the better, it would make them easier to take out once they got within range. He looked back to Arakawa once again for what seemed the hundredth time to see if she had finished with the door. Frustrated anger swept him away once again when he saw that she wasn't, and he knew he'd be killing these approaching men as much to alleviate some of his frustrated rage, as to keep Arakawa safe and working. Any moment now.<p>

He tried not to think about what might be happening to Mayu. He hoped she would have sense enough to hide. He hoped she hadn't been found…

…now!

Bando whirled around the corner with the rifle steady in his grip and prepared to take out the approaching men.

And then froze in shock as he found himself staring into the eyes of Ryota.

It took many moments for Bando to register the scene before him. Ryota was standing there, his pistol already out of his holster and raised towards Bando. It had in fact already been out when Bando had come around the corner. Ryota had been able to sense there were intruders around the corner, or perhaps his pistol draw was just faster than his eye had been able to follow. Hanging heavily off of Ryota's shoulder, was Ghost, obviously seriously wounded and oblivious to reality through some sort of shock. He was covered in blood but didn't see any obvious wounds. Maybe the blood just obscured them.

As the significance of the moment caught up to him, Bando trained his gun on Ghost. Looked like payback was coming sooner, and easier, than he'd imagined. He had been about to pull the trigger when Ryota stepped in his way and aimed the pistol at Bando's head.

"You won't do this Bando."

"Get the hell out of my way old man. He's got this coming, I owe him one."

"That may be true, but you won't gun him down in such dishonorable circumstances. I taught you better than that."

"Go to hell Ryota! You didn't teach me a DAMN thing I didn't learn on my own."

They stared at one another for a few silent moments. Bando's anger began to eclipse all of his other emotions…to be faced with Ryota again…

"Am I to assume that means you do remember what it is to be honorable, and simply don't care?"

"Fuck you, who are you to talk down to me? And you want to talk about honor yet you're protecting that bastard? Don't act like you're so damn ignorant of everything he's done…"

"And everything you've done…"

"GODDAMN IT!"

Bando aimed the gun at Ghost's head and felt Ryota press the barrel of his own gun against Bando's head. He entertained for a moment the idea of disarming Ryota but knew he would never be faster than Ryota's trigger finger.

"He doesn't fucking deserve to live, you know it Ryota. You KNOW it."

"Is this about what we deserve Bando? If that's the case, why are you still alive? Why haven't you killed yourself yet? Why haven't you aimed that gun at me?"

He was furious, but mostly because he couldn't provide an answer that would sound reasonable or that he could say without feeling like an enormous hypocrite. And how could he shoot Ryota…he was…he had…

Bando took a step back and gritted his teeth, lowering his weapon. He couldn't…he just couldn't. He had told himself he was ready to kill Ryota if he had to but…

"You gave that order. You want me dead."

"They want you dead, I'm only the messenger Bando. Doesn't mean it's what I want."

"You could stop this."

"No…I can't."

"Yes you can! Or have you become such a fucking coward you just don't want to?"

"I am not a coward Bando."

"Yes you are! Ever since my mother died all you've done is tuck your goddamn tail between your legs in everything you did and every decision you made! Why don't YOU kill ME huh? Why don't you just do it you son of a bitch!"

He didn't know where all this venom was coming from but suddenly he couldn't stop himself as he hurled the words at Ryota, hoping something would pierce him like nails.

"Why did you leave?" Ryota asked suddenly. Bando just stared. He wasn't sure if he was talking about why he went AWOL, or why he had left him so long ago. His answer to that question at his mother's grave hadn't exactly been a very satisfactory one. But in the end, he could give the same answer for both.

"Because you didn't give a fuck, and I had my own shit to deal with. Couldn't count on you so what was the damn point?"

Ryota shook his head sadly, "you're wrong about me Bando…I do care. I have always cared."

"Save it old man. I don't believe you."

"You will…one day, you'll see."

Ryota's radio jumped to life at that moment, a frantic voice yelling through it.

"_Someone respond! This is the helipad perimeter guard! Back up! We need back up! Holy fucking shit someone help us! That fucking monster is…oh god….NOOOOOOO…."_

The sound abruptly cut off a moment after the sound of wet gurgling came through the radio. Another voice responded immediately.

"_Team 3 respond! We've already started dust off and the directors are on board the helicopter. What the hell is happening down there?"_

"_She's fucking killing us! We can't stop her, she's too goddamn fast! She…fuck! Fire! Fire! Fucking st…"_

"_Team 3 come in!"_

"What the hell is going on?" Bando asked, dread filling him.

"Let's just say there are worse things than the three of us in this world."

"_JESUS CHRIST! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? MAYDAY! MAYDAY! WE'RE GOING DOWN! I REPEAT! WE'RE GOING…"_

The transmission cut off abruptly to the sound of white noise. Moments later a booming crash could be heard from somewhere nearby and the vibration of the impact shook all three of them. Ryota looked behind him down the hall and Bando was too stunned to use the opportunity to kill Ghost. He was curious as to what the sound could have been as well. When Ryota turned around again, he swore he saw the smallest hint of a smile on Ryota's face, though his expression was grim.

"I have other problems to deal with right now Bando. Let us pass, I don't want to have to go through you."

"You could try, but you're the one at a disadvantage."

"Bando!" Arakawa called out from down the hallway, "what the hell was that?"

Bando raised his weapon again, this time pointing it at Ryota. Remembering Mayu's predicament and that Arakawa was trying to open the door so they could save her was a cold shock to his nerves. He felt his reluctance towards killing Ryota disappear. It was now a choice between him, and Mayu, and it was a goddamn easy choice to make. Only he saw a stricken look pass across Ryota's face and his own gun lower. He wasn't going to fight?

"Bando," he whispered, "do something for me."

"I don't owe you anything Ryota."

"Get her out of here," Ryota said simply.

Bando lowered his weapon and stared at Ryota who looked at him with a pleading gaze. He didn't understand it…did he know about Mayu? Was he actually talking about Arakawa? Either way, it was obvious enough that Ryota was giving him a free pass to escape uncontested…but…

"This isn't over between us Ryota."

"No…it's not. We'll meet again Bando."

Arakawa called out from the hallway again, "I've almost got it Bando! Get over here!"

Taking a last look at Ryota, he turned and ran back down the hallway just as the red lights were beginning to flash again, signaling the impending opening of the door.

_Mayu…please be ok…please…_

* * *

><p>Mayu took timid steps forward as the soldier held his gun to Nana's head, and she felt like she were in the middle of a dream. The moment seemed like an out of body experience where she was watching herself though a separate pair of eyes.<p>

"They say we should recapture you monsters if we can," Mayu heard the man say, "but too many of my friends have died tonight because of you. You're going to die."

Nana did not reply or even look up, but simply closed her eyes, waiting for the man to shoot her. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as Mayu's shaking hands began to lift the gun Bando had given her, and told her he would never let her use. Her whole body trembled, and she struggled not to wail in terror as she lifted the gun higher and higher. She had known intellectually that the grenade she had thrown earlier had probably killed some men but thankfully the lights had gone out and she had been able to largely block the consequences of the blast out of her mind. But this would be different…if she pulled that trigger, this man would die, and in clear view with bright light. He was wearing body armor and Mayu knew if she shot him anywhere else, it wouldn't stop him from firing his own weapon to kill Nana. It would have to be a head shot…he would have to die, there was no other alternative. She wasn't sure she could do this. The trigger felt heavy as if she were trying to move a mountain with a single finger.

The gun felt cold in her hand and was filled with dreadful new implications. It was transforming from something merely dangerous to a ghastly object; its only purpose being death. The knowledge of that made her want to drop it and run away from it as if the gun were a living breathing monster. It was like it had the conscience of the devil. It had aiming sights to help a person kill easier. It was a semi-automatic which made it easier to kill faster. Even the procedure of reloading was so easy that she was able to pick it up without much trouble. And she was very young…so easy a child could do it…

She had told Bando she would do whatever it took to protect the people she loved, but killing was such a high price to pay to accomplish that. It was easy to be sure of a conviction to kill when you were angry or scared, but this was different. She was not angry, she was not in danger. This would be cold blooded, no matter the righteous motive behind it. She couldn't imagine what had lain in the depths of Nana's soul to make it so easy for her to have killed…and indeed…to have torn her victim literally limb from limb.

But then she knew…

That man had been about to hurt Mayu, and Nana loved her. Her rage had been for her friend, and Mayu tried to understand it more viscerally as the shaking gun sighted at the back of the soldier's head. She just couldn't make herself angry however. Her teeth gritted and tears streamed down her face as she held the gun in her hands with a white knuckle grip that caused her pain. It seemed beyond terrible that such a simple, tiny little hand movement could completely end a person's life and destroy all they were, all they are, and all they will ever be. All gone in the flash of a gunshot, in the space between a second. It was a horror beyond words.

But the soldier was going to take all Nana ever was, all that she is, and all she would ever be, and would relish doing so. What did it take to desire murder? It was not the same journey that caused a person to accept the necessity to murder. In either case, Mayu knew, it changed something in the person forever to make that decision and live with it. She knew if she pulled the trigger, she would never be the same. She would destroy all she was, and all she would ever be…just as surely as she would destroy this man before her who was going to bring death to Nana. Her moments were running out; the time to make a decision was coming in the space between seconds.

Killer.

Monster.

Was being one the same as being the other? What marked the difference? If Mayu pulled the trigger, she would become a killer, but did that make her a monster? Nana was not a monster, no matter what she thought about herself. It couldn't mean the same thing, because if Nana was not a monster, than Mayu could not be if she did this…

…Bando was not a monster, but being a killer nearly destroyed him. She saw what it did to his soul, and was beginning to truly understand more than she ever did before what made him violent towards her long ago, and why he had tried to kill Lucy, and Nana. She felt the complete knowledge was just slightly out of her reach however…her grasp just a few final inches from the truth…centimeters really…a finger length, just enough to pull the trigger of a gun.

What would she become?

What would Nana think of her…or Kouta…or Yuka…

"_Mayu! No! Please don't go! I didn't mean…I'm sorry!"_

There was only one way. Only one way to show Nana the truth. The only way to show Nana that she was not a monster, and that Mayu could never fear her.

She would save her. She would destroy herself.

She would kill the last of her innocence, in the space between a second.

Time to let it go…

The gun steadied in her hands as the soldier's finger touched the trigger. Time was up…

"NNNNAAAAAANNNNAAAAAAAAAA!"

The soldier swung around at the sound of Mayu's scream and she could see into his startled, frightened eyes. He had been scared of Nana. The sight of it almost made her miss.

She pulled the trigger.

The sound was like a cannon going off in her ears even though the actual sound of the shot was short and quick. Anti climactic really but to the slowed down reality of Mayu's world, it was like an impossibly bright flash roaring into the world like a phoenix being born. She almost dropped the gun but had remembered Bando's warning to hold onto the pistol as she fired a second shot, once again emulating Bando, making sure of the kill. Both bullets passed through the man's head and sprayed blood on the walls as he fell clumsily back and slammed into the wall, dropping his gun and slumping over with wide, unseeing eyes.

He was dead. And she had killed him.

She felt paralyzed and unable to let go of the gun or even put it down. She stared with stricken eyes at the consequences of her decision. She had killed a man…he was gone forever. All he was and would ever be was all gone because of her. The enormity of it threatened to break her soul in half, but realized that it wasn't merely in two pieces…it was in several. Shattered like glass in the depths of her mind. She didn't know how much time had passed but suddenly felt Nana's arms around her as they both sank to the ground in each other's arms, the gun falling from Mayu's hands and clattering on the floor. It was only now that Mayu wailed and struggled not to turn that wail into a scream.

"Mayu…oh Mayu…I'm so sorry! It's all my fault…I should have taken care of him. I was so stupid," Nana said through sobs as she held Mayu close to her, "I'm so sorry Mayu! I'm so sorry!"

"It's ok," Mayu said. Her own voice sounded different to her. It was lower…darker. It wasn't the sound of a voice belonging to a teenage girl. She had been right. In the space of a second, she had already changed, and that change would be forever.

"No it's not," Nana wailed, "I didn't ever want you to know what it was like to…"

"To kill," Mayu whispered absently, finishing the sentence that Nana had not wanted to finish. Things were different now. Now she was the protector…the defender. Who was comforting whom? All she knew was that was glad her friend was still alive. But at what cost to herself? Mayu wasn't sure completely what was lost, or what was gained, from what she had done. The only thing she was sure of, was that she was seeing the world through different eyes, and felt things with a different heart. She held Nana more tightly and kissed her cheek.

"It's ok Nana," she whispered, "everything's going to be ok…"

Was that true? Maybe one day.

"You're not a monster Nana. Because if you are…than we both are."

She pulled back to look into Nana's eyes and an understanding passed between them. The understanding of what it took for a person to take a life, and what it did to the soul. It was the understanding of knowing they both were now walking paths that most men and women would never walk in their lives, and knowing they would walk together.

She heard the bulkhead door behind them open loudly and Mayu reacted without thinking, grabbing the gun off the floor and shoving Nana behind her, aiming at the doorway. Bando was there before her, stopping in mid run as he had been coming towards her. She saw him assess the situation and his gaze lingered on the dead man a moment before coming back to her. The woman appeared next to Bando and when she noticed the scene before her, she covered her mouth with one hand. When Mayu looked again at Bando, she saw sadness and resignation in his eyes.

"If you want to do it Mayu…I won't blame you. If anyone has a right to shoot me…it's you."

She realized she had been holding the gun on Bando. She was still in shock.

"I don't want…" she began. The edge in her voice melted away at the sight of Bando. She felt the horror of what she'd done catching up to her now, and it threatened to overwhelm her.

"Oh god…I…I killed that man…I killed him…BANDO I KILLED HIM!"

Bando threw his gun down and ran to Mayu, gathering her in his arms as she started to cry. Mayu threw her arms around his neck and let go, sobbing and saying his name over and over. In the corner of her vision, she saw Arakawa kneel down and put away her gun, staring at Nana.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said."

Bando looked over towards Nana, who was standing alone staring at the three of them. Silence stretched among them as Bando seemed to be trying to come to a decision about something. He turned briefly to look upon Mayu and then looked over towards Nana again, taking a deep breath and extending his hand.

"She needs you right now Nana. As for you and me? Maybe we're not so different."

"But we are," Nana said, "I'm not human."

"And what's 'human' anyway huh? Look, I made a mistake…made lots of them. I'm trying to make things right so I'm…sorry."

Tears fell from Nana's face and she smiled weakly.

"Don't…worry about it."

After a few moments, the woman touched Bando's shoulder.

"I really hate to ruin this, but I seem to remember someone telling me earlier that 'the entire fucking facility is on alert'."

"Shit," Bando said, standing up, "alright, it's pretty much a straight shot from here to the landing. And I have reason to believe we're not going to be seeing anymore security on the way. We're as good as out of here already. We just need to get there and secure us a boat. I'm getting the feeling the piece of crap I came in here on isn't going to be enough to hold all of us."

He stood up and looked at the gun still in Mayu's hand. Bando held out his own hand.

"You don't have to hold onto that anymore…"

"It's ok Bando," she said, the tone of her voice once again returning to that mature edge that she had gained after she had pulled the trigger and left her old self behind, "I'll be ok."

"You will Mayu," he said, knowingly, "in time, you will."

The four of them took off running down the hallway, to escape the Institute.

But Mayu knew that there would be no escape for her truly.

She would see those eyes forever in her nightmares.


	16. No Going Back

He would not look away.

The soldiers fired desperately upon Lucy to ill effect as she stood still, intense concentration upon her face as she flung wide the hail of gunfire unleashed upon her, occasionally drawing large objects near her to take the brunt of the gunfire. When she would do this, Kouta noticed her taking large shuddering breaths, as if she were growing exhausted by the effort of defending herself. Nonetheless, when she would go on the offensive, she was unstoppable, crushing nearby soldiers with large objects or punching holes in them outright with her vectors; her fighting style reduced to the equivalent of a brawl where she powered through with brute force. It was a terrifying scene to behold and Kouta stood transfixed, his stolen gun gripped tightly in his hand, but he could not bring himself to raise it to aim at another human being. It had been all he could manage to fire it in the first place.

"Take her down!" he heard someone scream.

"YOU WON'T KILL US!" Lucy screamed in defiance, her muscles tightening as an eruption occurred in front of the soldiers. Lucy slamming her vectors onto the ground he assumed, toppling the remaining soldiers to the ground. Lucy needed his help no longer, that much was plain to see. Kouta let the weapon fall to the floor and felt an immense weight lift off of his shoulders as he did so. Carrying it around had been a burden on his soul the entire time he had stalked the facility in disguise. The implication of his handling it being that he would be expected to use it to hurt someone else. He knew that while he had not directly caused harm, for all intents and purposes, his freeing Lucy with the weapon had the same exact effect. These men were dying, and didn't stand a chance against her. He may as well have pulled the trigger on them all. He could not escape the responsibility. He had told her to do whatever it took…and he had told her to fight back, knowing what she was, knowing how it had to end, knowing blood would be spilled….

…knowing he was just as responsible.

It was this that had been truly horrifying to him. The idea that by his actions, people lost their lives. But he could not look away from this…he wouldn't. He had made his choices and come to his decisions, and it was time now to start moving forward with those choices made, no matter how difficult it would be to live with them.

The easy choice had been to go after Lucy when she had left. He had been sitting at the dining room in quiet contemplation of it, listening to the night air whisper between the trees and distant thunder roll across the sky.

It was in his nature to protect and defend, and it ripped at him that he seemed powerless to do either of these things for the woman he loved so dearly. The desperation he felt was making him blind to the dangers he intellectually knew were there, and it was pulling at him to stand up and walk out of the door. He kept asking himself why he was still sitting there? Did he really buy her insistence that he would only slow her down? He had known that was what she had really been saying to him. Was honoring her request the real reason he was still sitting there, or was it because he was afraid? He had spent so long being afraid that he was no longer sure what it was he was really afraid of. Was it the blood? The violence? Was he afraid of being unable to protect those he loved? Or perhaps it was the inevitability of such violence in order to defend that which mattered to him the most? Why did things have to be this way? Was there no other way to make things right?

"_Kouta…"_ came a soft voice from behind him. Yuka, checking in on him, as she often did. He appreciated her doing it, and appreciated it even more now. He was in sore need of a distraction, or at least someone to talk to, but regretted that he could not be as forthcoming as he wished he could be about things concerning Lucy. It had been only recently that Yuka even learned of Lucy's vectors and that had been enough of a production, though it eased her mind somewhat that Nana was also capable of using vectors. Yuka found it easier to trust Nana, though Kouta suspected it was more due to Yuka's inherent dislike of Lucy. Perhaps she considered Nana a potential check upon Lucy. Witnessing Lucy's raw power however, Kouta was doubtful of Nana's ability to do something like that.

"_Hey there Yuka," _he had replied, shifting slightly to make room at his end of the table for Yuka to take a seat beside him. It appeared it had not been necessary as Yuka drew close to him anyway upon sitting down, and leaned against his arm. She sighed in contentment as she watched the trees sway in the darkness, faintly lit by distant streetlights and the occasional moonlight in the moments that the clouds parted for its glowing silver light. Wind that made its way into the room blew Yuka's hair against his neck occasionally, the fluttering touch sending involuntary shivers down his body.

"_You look concerned about something Kouta. You've been sitting here a while."_

Could he talk to her about this? Did he dare? He felt terrible about keeping things from her. Yuka deserved better than being denied access to an entire aspect of his life when she had loved him so long and had been there for him. Besides, he had encouraged her affections before he remembered Lucy. It seemed his whole life was built on foundations of guilt.

"_Yeah…I guess I am." _He answered.

"_Lucy's been gone for some time," _she said, pinpointing the source of his distress. His response was the lowering of his eyes to the floor. She made a noise in the back of her throat which seemed an acknowledgement to herself that she was right, and turned her head to look at him.

"_Don't do that," _she said softly, moving hair away from his face to hook it behind his ear, running her fingers through it and caressing his face as if by accident of her hand being so close, _"I hate it when you hide like that when you're sad. You don't have to hide from me."_

_But I do…_

Kouta turned to look at her and saw concern in her eyes, but also hope, and most certainly love. The distant light of the moon and flickering streetlights played off of her face, casting shadows but not obscuring her features or eyes. Yuka was hauntingly beautiful in that moment. He thought he detected a delicate hint of perfume, or was that merely the natural scent of her? Something he hadn't quite noticed before? The current scent of blood and gunpowder was distracting his memory of it…he concentrated harder. Tuning out the chaotic noise around him.

"_I'm scared," _he said finally.

"_I'm just afraid…of losing everything again. Like I did back then…"_

"_You didn't lose me. I was always waiting for you."_

And so was Lucy, but neither of them had known it. Which was more tragic? Yuka's memory of him being the only thing that sustained her as she let the years pass before they met once more? Or the obliteration of memory for both himself…and Kaede…Lucy…of one another, and the love they shared but had not spoken aloud soon enough to make a difference? Did it even matter which was worse? Why DID it matter? Kouta felt that he was trying to justify his decisions to himself, or one decision in particular. Choosing Lucy over Yuka.

"_You aren't going to lose me Kouta. You'll never lose me, I told you. No matter what happens, I'll always be with you. I meant that Kouta. Even though you…"_

She could not finish her sentence, and her own eyes became downcast as she raised a hand to loosely grab the fabric of his shirt in a fist.

"…_even though you love her and not me."_

"_Yuka, I DO love you, don't you know that?"_

"_I know you do…but not the way I want you to."_

He could not deny the truth of that. Yuka wanted something from him that he just could not give her. Even knowing that however, Yuka hadn't given up on him. He couldn't bring himself to be harsh with her about it, especially considering he had played his own part in how that relationship had developed between the two of them. They were in an awkward place; more than friends, but less than lovers.

Yuka shifted closer to him and reached an arm around his neck, laying her head upon his shoulder.

"_Yuka…"_

"_I'm sorry Kouta…I can't…help it. I just need to be close to you right now. Can I do this for a little while? You're so far away from me in other ways. I need to feel that you're near…I know it's wrong, but I…"_

She grabbed him more tightly.

"_Can you just hold me?"_

Need. It was something that prevailed among all of them that lived under the roof of the Maple Inn. The inn was a special place for all of them, including himself. It was their sanctuary where they fended off the pain and demons that still haunted them all. Even Lucy who seemed so much stronger now was fighting a battle that he knew she felt she could not win. As he watched Lucy disarm and violently fling a soldier out into the water, he couldn't help feeling that it was frustrated rage at being unable to vanquish the terrible truth of her past and that it would never be as easy to conquer as her physical enemies. She knew Kouta was watching…she had to know how he was feeling.

He had wrapped Yuka in his arms, and she held on tightly. Need prevailed within him too. He needed to protect those people that were most important to him, but he sorely needed the strength to do it for Lucy.

"_You're scared of losing everything Kouta…well so am I. I feel like I just got it all back when you returned to Kamakura, and there's dread in me at knowing there are things you aren't telling me. I'm scared that those things are hurting you and I'm so frustrated that you won't let me try to help. Can't you trust me Kouta?"_

He couldn't…damn it he just couldn't. He knew what telling her everything would mean. He was walking on glass and he could see the cracks when Yuka tried to make him open up completely.

Her words struck him however. She felt like she had gotten a large piece of her life back when he returned. Well so had he when he remembered Lucy, although at first he didn't want it back. Feeling Yuka hold onto him, and her involuntary shaking, he could feel that she was as desperate as he was. It was conviction that made her hold on so tightly and made her unwilling to give up on him. He wondered how far Yuka would go to keep her life with Kouta and their family together. He knew Yuka's heart…she would go as far as she had to. So would Lucy.

And so must he.

He had to go after Lucy…that's the way it had to be.

He had been surprised to have caught up with Lucy so quickly considering how long ago she had departed the inn. Perhaps she had been in a state of deliberation just as he had been. He had told Yuka there was something he needed to do. He had considered lying to her at first and telling her he merely was going for a walk, but in the face of her own honest feelings, he couldn't make himself utter lies to her. As it was, his reason didn't tell her much, and he understood how he was making her feel giving her such a non-answer but it was the best he could give her. He needed to do this alone and would not endanger Yuka who would have surely come with him, or perhaps endeavored to talk him out of it. He didn't want that to happen because he was afraid she would succeed…much like Lucy had been afraid Kouta might succeed in talking her out of her own mission.

As he reached the wharf, he saw a boat in the distance and knew it was Lucy. She stood upright on the boat, the moonlight illuminating her as a ghostly silhouette; the boat seeming to move of its own accord. As Kouta worked to pull free his own dubiously crafted vessel, he stole glances behind him to view the distant lights of the facility Lucy was moving towards. It looked more like an ancient fortress in the distance, silhouetted against the moonlight drenched clouds and the dark horizon beyond. It was already imposing, and he hadn't even gotten to the water yet. When he reached it with the small boat, he began to feel fear and apprehension. Once he got in the boat and cast off into the water, it would be real. For a moment, it was difficult for him to really believe he was even out there, standing on the threshold. The waves rolled towards him, as if trying to snatch him from the safety of Kamakura's shores, and into the uncertainty of the dark water and the mission he had set before himself.

Closing his eyes, he shoved off into the water quickly, as if to give himself no time to talk himself out of the endeavor, and then he was in the water. Fearful thoughts were interrupted by the physical labor of paddling out into water that now seemed to want to throw him back, contrary to it's previous coaxing rhythm. It was like the sea itself were testing his resolve, and if he faltered, he would get no further than the shallow water of the beach. That thought made his resolve strengthen against it; the sea would be an easy opponent to overcome. Before he knew it, he was in open water, and his labors ceased somewhat as he paddled gently in slow pursuit of Lucy who was already very far ahead of him. Occasionally, the darkness around him swallowed Lucy as though he were sailing on a sea of shadows towards an edifice of stone, concrete, and steel. It was in those moments that the reality of his situation would come down on him and his breathing would quicken. It was still somewhat easy because he was not at his destination yet and the only thing he needed to be concerned with was to keep moving forward…

Moving forward.

How could he do that when he spent so much time looking back? He had made his decision about Lucy hadn't he? Then why wouldn't the memories stop haunting him? Why couldn't he banish the horror in his heart at a past she was directly connected with, and responsible for, when he had told her he was leaving it behind? If only he had told her back then how he had truly felt sooner…if only he had just…

…that was it wasn't it?

His fault. It was all his fault. His father and sister were dead because he lied. Because of him. They died because of him.

He knew logically that it wasn't true, but all the roads of his mind led him to that conclusion. He couldn't make himself believe anything else. He was responsible. When he saw the blood on Lucy's hands, he saw it on his own. He felt like an accessory to murder, to death. He was not holding the smoking gun but he felt like it was he who aimed it towards those who had died at Lucy's hands. He blamed himself more than he blamed her for what she did.

Kouta stopped rowing and sat still, drifting along the water as he stared at nothing at all. He felt lost in the storm of his clarity. He knew what drove his horror. He knew it wasn't the violence, but that he perceived himself to be an instigator of it, a cause of such terrible effect. Then what did he think he was doing going after Lucy? The moment his boat touched those foreign shores, he would be forced to confront violence itself in order to help her. Could he do that? Would he be able to do that if the moment came? He sat still in the boat that drifted aimlessly along the water, without direction from Kouta, as he pondered the question.

He did not blame Lucy for what happened. He had spoken true about that, but did that just mean he felt he deserved to be punished instead? He didn't really believe that, as much as he often tried to tell himself that he did deserve damnation. There was never any time for self pity, for so many other people needed him. It wasn't until they all started fighting for him that he recognized his own shrouded demons. Now that he was in control of himself and fully aware of his past, he was finally coming to terms with it. The final barrier, it seemed, was his horror of violence, and the truth behind why it horrified him. He would not be able to escape being responsible this time if he kept going. If he did not turn back now, he would either be responsible for more death, or die himself. There would be no going back.

"_I am violence Kouta…"_

This was the final barrier between them. She was not involving him because she knew he had not been ready to see her truly, and absolutely, for what she was, and would always be. He had not been ready because he had been unable to come to terms with bloodshed. He thought of Yuka then, and wondered how far she would have been willing to go to protect him if it had been her in the train car that awful night, or if she were with him tonight. He felt her conviction, her love, and though it shamed him that he could not return it, he acknowledged that she would likely do anything to keep him safe if she thought he needed protection. Could he do any different?

He had told Lucy that he wanted to put a stop to the bloodshed, but what he was really telling her was that he did not want anymore blood spilled in his name, or because of his actions or inactions. He knew, however, that sometimes it just wasn't up to a person to decide when or if blood would be spilled in their name. Sometimes, there was just no choice, and in his case, it would mean abandoning Lucy to her fate, whatever it may be. He could not do that, not now, not after everything they had been through together up to this point. He realized that the entire time he was making his way towards the darkened facility, that he was looking for a point of no return that he could sit at the edge of and continue his deliberation. The truth however, was that he crossed that point of no return the second her lips touched his own. There was no going back. The realization further strengthened his resolve as he took up his oars again, and continued his slow journey to the facility, Lucy no longer in sight. He didn't know how he would find her, or what he would have to do when he did. All he knew is that he would find her…and he would do whatever it took to help or defend her. He had to forgive himself for his family, or else forgiving Lucy was nothing but a sham. He had to do it, or else he would not be able to lift a finger to protect the people he loved when violence eventually came to them.

No going back now…it was the only thought prevalent in his mind as his boat tentatively touched the sand of the facility's beach. The waves gently guided him to the sand, being gentle with him as if understanding what it took for him to complete his journey, but he knew it was far from over. In fact, it had only just begun.

He stood on the sand for a few moments listening to the waves wash upon the shore, wondering what he was going to do, when almost immediately he noticed a dark shape on the ground from somewhere up ahead. Crouching down low, he began walking forward towards it; each step giving him the sense of progress towards his ultimate goal: finding Lucy. From the dark shape, Kouta had heard something which sounded like a radio; the static hiss of voices whispering from it.

"_Team 5 perimeter guard, report in order of position from east to west, over."_

It was a guard lying prone on the ground. Did Lucy do this? Was he dead?

That last thought made him freeze and his muscles lock up. WAS he dead? It looked like his neck was twisted at an odd angle but Kouta couldn't really be sure in the dark.

"_Tanaka, reporting in. Quiet at the landing, over."_

"_Copy."_

Kouta took a few steps closer, forcing each movement as if he wore weights on his arms and legs. He didn't see the body as a soldier, but rather he saw his father dead on the floor of the train car as he had stared at the corpse in morbid disbelief that such a thing had actually happened. Fortunately for his sanity, he had managed to convince himself that it had not happened. He couldn't do that now, and he could not succumb to the disbelief which took so many years of his life. Kouta knew the truth; this man was dead, and Lucy had killed him, although it was a sight less bloody than he had honestly expected, having witnessed on several occasions exactly how Lucy killed. Compared to that this was actually…clean.

"_Reinhardt, I repeat. Report in. Status of beachhead, over?"_

Repeat…beachhead. Reinhardt. They were looking for the dead man. Kouta knew if they didn't get an answer, they would assume the worst and probably start searching for intruders. For Lucy. Kouta couldn't let that happen. This was how he could help her…this time, she would need him.

With that thought banishing his fear, he stepped easily forward and grabbed the radio. He wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to do with it considering all the knobs and buttons, but he assumed the largest one on its side would allow him to speak through it. He hoped it required no more operation than that. Pressing the button, he allowed his voice to drop as best it could and hoped the person on the other end didn't know Reinhardt well.

"_Reinhardt, reporting in. Quiet at the beachhead…over" _he added the last word quickly, remembering it at the last moment. There was a slight pause before the reply.

"_Copy."_

He was almost disappointed in how easy that had been, but now he had a problem. He knew now that they would expect the man to return at some point and it was only a matter of time before someone started asking questions. His mind raced; he had bought Lucy time but would it be enough? He looked down at the soldier and had a stray thought that he was rather small for a soldier…

…about his size actually.

"Doesn't anyone have any fucking bullets left!"

Kouta's mind was shocked back to the present as he watched four survivors standing against Lucy who stood defiantly with clenched fists, her body tensed with rage. They were fumbling with rifle magazines as Lucy slowly approached them. A few of them dropped their weapons entirely, no longer able to mentally cope with their own impending doom, and fell to their knees. As their guns clattered to the floor harmlessly, it gave Kouta a sense of just how frail humanity could be. The hopes and future of a person's entire life trusted to a simple object of plastic and steel, and when it was shown to be useless, that person's future could end suddenly and completely. Kouta had not felt powerful as he walked through the halls in his stolen uniform, clutching his stolen assault rifle. As he marched down the halls doing his best to emulate the movements of passing soldiers, most of which gave him funny looks as if they could see his face through the mask, he felt small and powerless before the weapon in his hand. He couldn't imagine how holding a weapon could make anyone feel like they were anything but weak and powerless. Who was the man with a gun when they ran out of bullets?

Taking the soldier's clothes had been a gut wrenching labor. The scent of him was still on his clothes, silently reminding Kouta of his disrespect of the man's corpse by stripping him and leaving him. He tried to put aside the guilt of his own actions as he searched. A few times he had found himself confronted by soldiers asking questions about the security of various areas. The questions were clearly not meant to be answered with any measure of complexity as they were asked with a tone of apathy. Kouta picked up on the tone of their voices and answered with a similar blasé attitude, which seemed to satisfy anyone who asked him anything about his "patrol".

Kouta had been starting to lose hope and fear began to creep back in as he realized he was lost in the hallways. He realized that he had absolutely no plan whatsoever and his entire thought process had revolved in just getting here. He had no idea what to do now or what he would even do if he found Lucy. He suddenly felt like a colossal fool for coming here. What had he been thinking?

"_Are you lost son?"_

Kouta whirled around startled, and realized if nothing else, this reaction was going to give him away. He entertained the thought briefly of shooting the speaker, but the thought, born from an instant of fear, vanished as quickly as it had come. The man before him was intimidating and imposing, but not because of height or build. He was slightly taller than Kouta and certainly quite built for his age, which Kouta assumed to be over twice his own. He had long salt and pepper hair that was more silver than dark, and held back with a number of ties down its length. The thing that was imposing was simply his air of authority and strength that needed no declarations. Kouta could feel it just by being in his presence. He wondered if anyone in the world would ever have had the guts to so much as aim a weapon at him without feeling silly for doing it.

"_No…I was…" _

The game was up, and he knew it. His heart thundered in his chest at not knowing what would come next, but knowing with absolute certainty that it would be bad. The man gave him a quick assessing look and then smiled.

"_You must be newly transferred to S.A.T. It's no wonder you look lost in here. I've visited numerous other Institutes around the world, and this is the only one they insisted on building like a maze."_

Kouta laughed nervously. It just couldn't be this easy.

"_Where were you headed? Perhaps I can help you…I'm the commander of S.A.T forces here," _he paused, and Kouta could sense him quickly thinking something over, _"were you assigned to prisoner escort?"_

Prisoner…Lucy had left looking for a captive.

"_Yes!" _he answered without thinking, and with slightly too much enthusiasm. He mentally kicked himself again at the slip. The fact that this man had not asked him to remove his facial mask was some sort of miracle. Kouta's exuberant reply had not gone unnoticed by the man who flicked his eyes towards him strangely in a calculating fashion.

"_Good. I have a number of other units responding to potential security breaches and in fact, they could use backup, so I will be pulling units away from the holding areas. I don't have many to spare right now for an escort so since you're new, that will fall to you. There is a young girl who was mistakenly detained earlier this evening that requires passage back to the mainland. She would be in holding area C in an interrogation room. I need you to escort her to the landing, and off the island…and it would be best if you impress upon her not to involve the regular authorities regarding the circumstances of her capture. I'm sure you know we cannot afford such attention right now."_

Young girl? Could they be talking about Lucy? They had captured her so easily? He was in over his head if he was dealing with people who could do such a thing, but he now had a chance to get her out of here. He felt apprehension however. It was all too easy…

"_Yes sir," _Kouta answered, trying to sound as confident as he could. He had never felt more silly in his life.

"_Good man," _he started to walk away, but then stopped, turning around again to look at Kouta. He seemed to be searching for something in Kouta's eyes.

"_You're a brave man to be here. I'm sure you've been told what lies within the depths of this place. Some potential recruits cannot even bear to stand upon the shores of this island."_

"_I have a responsibility," _Kouta said, strangely moved by the comment, _"to those back home I care about. They're the reason I'm here."_

"_Just don't forget you also have a responsibility to be there with them as well. Be careful son."_

He gave Kouta quick directions before setting off. Kouta did not wait long before he began heading for the holding cells. By the time he had reached them, it had become apparent that there was obviously some sort of commotion going on, as there were soldiers running around the halls, and the sound of gunshots from somewhere up ahead. None of the soldiers so much as looked at him as all were intent on getting to their destinations. He had a rather petrifying encounter with one of them who wore short silver hair and was stalking down a hallway coming from the holding areas, a look of intense anger in his face. Kouta had made the mistake of being slightly in his walking path, causing the man to violently shove Kouta against the wall out of his way before walking again.

After taking a few moments to regain his composure, Kouta continued towards the holding areas, and quickly reached the interrogation room that the commander had been talking about. Throwing the door wide, expecting to see Lucy, he found the room empty except for a simple table, chair, and a flickering light from the ceiling. There were drops of blood on the table, and some on the floor next to a table leg which had a pair of handcuffs attached to it. Dread washed over him…what had become of Lucy?

The landing. Perhaps there had been others who the commander had offered busywork such as the escort of a prisoner. It was his only lead really.

The lights had gone out suddenly, only to be replaced by a dark red glow from emergency lights along the wall. Not long afterwards, Kouta heard the distant roar of machine gun fire from somewhere further behind him. Whatever was happening, it had nothing to do with him and was not in a direction he was heading anyway. Considering how dark everything had become, he felt a little more confident about moving around the facility.

As he moved, he couldn't stop thinking of the blood on the table and on the floor of that room. He felt a flame of anger beginning to burn inside of him…what had those bastards done to her? It made him want to…

…made him want…

He stopped walking with the shock of where his thoughts were taking him. He actually wanted to _hurt _themfor daring to bring harm to Lucy. What did that make him? The thought of him being responsible for violence was a large part of what had driven him into shock so great it caused his amnesia. The anger he felt now was alien to him; almost as if a stranger were trying to take possession of his mind. As he kept searching, and his fear for Lucy's safety grew, so too did his anger.

The sound of approaching footsteps distracted him from his train of thought as a platoon of soldiers came thundering down the hallway. Kouta was swept up by them as one man shouted at him to "fall in". He didn't dare disobey such a direct command without risking direct confrontation with the soldiers, so he started running with them. They stopped abruptly as the man leading the soldiers motioned for them to stop and began to speak on a radio. Kouta recognized him as the commander he had run into earlier…well this was just great. To make matters worse, the lights came back on at that moment and as the commander looked around the room while he spoke, Kouta saw the light of recognition in his eyes as they passed over him.

His message was interrupted by the sound of gunshots from somewhere nearby. The commander's head whirled towards the noise, then put the radio away and shouted at the men to move, at which point Kouta was swept along with the sea of men once more. They emerged at a private ship landing, and Kouta was last in the room as he heard the commander speak to someone up ahead. Once Kouta emerged from the wall of soldiers to look beyond, he was greeted with a sight that made his blood freeze.

Lucy…

He had found her…he had accomplished his mission…except it was obvious she was in trouble.

She wasn't fighting back, and Kouta knew she should be. Dimly, he realized that if she started fighting now, there was a chance she would kill him by mistake, but what worried him more was that she wasn't fighting at all. Why? What was wrong? She was obviously straining for some reason, and Kouta could only imagine it was with the effort to use her phantom hands. Was she unable to do so for some reason?

"_I made a promise to someone," _he heard her say, _"someone who means more to me than the whole of your world ever will. I promised him that I would come back alive. I won't let you make me break that promise."_

The words went all the way to his heart and to his soul. He was here now, they were together. Maybe she didn't know it yet, but he was with her. There had to be something he could do…there just HAD to be…

…otherwise, he would die with her. If they were going to take her, if there truly was no escape, he would remove his mask and at least let her know she would not go to death alone. He didn't want to live without her anyway. He had no desire to watch another person he loved die, and then live with the pain. His breathing quickened with fear for her life, and dread that the past was going to repeat itself, and he would have to watch her die. He just couldn't…just couldn't do it again…not again…

_Not Lucy…please god not Lucy…please don't take her from me…_

Out of the corner of his eye, he could feel the commander watching him, but he no longer cared about maintaining a convincing front. It was all going to end here anyway.

"_That's all well and good," _said the commander, _"but I'm afraid it's a pointless stand you're taking. You are vastly outnumbered and the device over there,"_ he had said, pointing at the vector nullifier…almost deliberately, _"has effectively removed your fangs. Don't make this hard on yourself. Surrender peacefully."_

THAT was why she wasn't fighting back. Whatever that thing he had pointed at was, it was preventing her from defending herself. With a sudden, blinding comprehension…he knew what he had to do.

He had never fired a gun in his life, he had never imagined himself ever needing to, and never imagined his own death was so near and so certain. They wouldn't give him a second chance, and would likely kill him before Lucy could do anything to stop it. The possibility for failure was vast, and his fear of the weapon in his hand further crippled him, but he was Lucy's only hope. If he did not do something…he would lose her forever…

He had come so far this night just to find Lucy, not just in physical distance, but in so many other things. In this journey alone, he had come so much closer to finding himself and moving on from the horrors of his past, by directly facing them every step of the way. He had not come this far to fail at the culminating moment. He had not come this far to let her die right before his eyes. The fear for Lucy's life, the facing of his fear of violence, the flame of anger that had grown into a roaring fire, all came together in an explosion of motion as he, almost without thinking, lifted the weapon to aim at the vector nullifier.

One chance…

Don't think…

Shoot…

And screaming, he pulled the trigger. The recoil jarred him violently and he had not expected it; the weapon firing only a few shots straight before the barrel went wide, but it had been enough as the frail device shattered like glass with the force of only a few bullets passing through it. The recoil had struck terror into him, but in a way he was glad for it. It was like the weapon was reminding its user of the reality of its terrible nature by giving back some of the pain to the wielder. Kouta had found it fitting; one should never forget what a terrible thing a killing device was.

"_I am violence Kouta."_

She was wrong. A weapon was an incarnation of violence, but people weren't. They did not have to be, because people had a choice. What you were capable of was not what you were. Being capable of killing was not the same as being a murderer. While Lucy had many deaths to her name, he also knew it was not the life she wanted for herself. It was all she had known, which was why she had insisted that she was synonymous with violence, but she had a choice now. They had each other. She didn't have to live like that anymore.

This was the final thing he could do for her…he could make her see that.

"LUCY STOP!" he screamed.

The surviving soldiers had all stopped fighting and had dropped their weapons. It didn't have to be this way. The fight was over, she had won. She could do this without executing them all in cold blood. Lucy stopped moving forward, but did not turn to look at him.

"They're giving up Lucy, you don't have to kill them."

"Yes I do," she said, her voice raspy and cold, "they'll just come back to kill us."

"Look at them! They're scared! That's why they're trying to kill you. No, it's not right that they are trying to hurt us, but they don't want to do it. They think they have to. Don't you see that? Don't you know that?"

He saw her visibly deflate, and her fists clench.

"I…" her shoulders began to shake, "I do see that…"

"Lucy, you told me that violence was in your nature. I don't believe that, not anymore. All the time we've spent together…I feel like that's the person you really are, that person you've become without all the pain and fear. THAT'S your nature. Just because you CAN kill, doesn't mean it defines you. Please see that Lucy."

The soldiers looked on, not hearing a word. Kouta could see that they were waiting only for their salvation, or damnation. Lucy still would not look at him. Kouta slowly stepped towards Lucy…knowing why she would not turn around…he would not hide from this.

"Let them go Lucy, look at me…it's over."

She took a shuddering breath and covered her face with her hands. Kouta looked pointedly at the kneeling soldiers, and motioned towards the door. They did not wait for further cues as they scrambled to their feet and ran towards the door without their weapons, leaving Kouta and Lucy alone.

He had done it. He had saved her. Relief washed through him and he turned back to Lucy, who had turned to face him. She slowly moved her hands from her face which was streaked with tears and contorted in misery.

She was splattered with blood.

He waited for it, but the flashbacks did not come this time. She was sure that he was seeing them, but she was wrong…that was over now. He had left the past behind on Kamakura's shores and when he went back with her, he would not be taking that pain back when they returned.

"Kouta…" she whispered slowly in a small voice, as if frightened beyond reason that he would reject her now.

Never.

He closed the remaining distance between them and looked only at her eyes, lifting his hand to brush a tear, and a bloodstain, from her cheek, then held his hand against her face. With a shaking hand, she reached up and pressed her hand against his own, holding it against her cheek.

"Kouta…I…didn't want you to see…"

"That's why you really wanted to do this alone wasn't it?"

She nodded her head shakily and took an involuntary step forward to hold him but stopped abruptly, remembering the blood on her. Kouta slipped his other arm around her waist and pulled her close to him and she clutched him desperately.

"Kouta I'm sor…"

"Lucy…don't. It's alright…I'm alright."

"I only ever wanted to show you the person who didn't do these things…I just love you so very much…it hurts me so much when you're scared of me, when you wake up next to me and I see it in your face…I'd do anything to take that away…"

"You won't have to worry about that anymore Lucy. I'm done being afraid."

She smiled as more tears fell from her face, and she threw her arms around Kouta's neck.

"You came all this way for me…you saved me…"

"We saved each other."

_In so many ways…_

Kouta looked around the landing as Lucy's quiet sobs began to subside and she merely relaxed against him, as if they were not in the middle of enemy territory. There were a number of large boats which he didn't have the faintest idea how to operate, but he did see a few small motorboats that looked simple enough. Kouta was reasonably sure he could at least get them back to the mainland, and then they could go home.

He reached up and took Lucy's face in his hands, kissing her gently. She returned the kiss hungrily for a few moments before letting him speak.

"Let's get out of this place," he said, "it's time to go home."

"Good…I'm so tired…I just want to sleep and pretend this was all just a bad dream for a night."

Kouta took her hand and they walked away towards the boat. As they walked, he kept noticing Lucy looking back…as if expecting to see someone following.

"What's wrong Lucy?"

She looked at him, slightly startled.

"I…"

She looked back again for a long moment.

"Nothing."

Climbing into the boat, Kouta easily started up the motor and began to steer them out of the facility. As they got further out from the facility, Lucy sat near him and took his arm in both of hers.

"Kouta?"

"What is it Lucy?"

"We might have a new houseguest soon. I'm sorry I kind of invited her without considering if you could even take on other guests, but she has nowhere to go. She's the one they had locked up in here. I set her free."

Another diclonius? Like Lucy? Kouta couldn't refuse…this had been important enough for Lucy to risk her life.

"I don't think that'll be a problem."

Lucy smiled and leaned her head against him.

"So," he said, "what's she like?"

Her eyes opened and a strange look passed across her face.

"Well…"


	17. A Calm Within the Storm

The cool night air surrounded them, and the sound of lapping water against the boat was a calming lullaby.

Mayu gripped the side of the sailboat they had procured from the landing. It had clearly been a leisure craft and fortunately Bando had known how to take it out to sea. It was comfortable enough to hold them all and allow a few of them the privacy of their own thoughts, which was something sorely needed. Almost none of them clung to one another for any sort of comfort because they all knew there was none to be had. Mayu had wanted to go to Bando at least to talk but he was clearly lost in his own thoughts, so she left him alone to them. Even Nana was distant, although she was the only one who stood with her, a quiet companion. This too was awkward as it felt like they were just staring out into sea to avoid looking at one another and silently reliving the moment where a single gunshot had shattered everything Mayu was and reformed her with pieces missing. Or were they just changed? Mayu wasn't sure yet, the shock was still too fresh. She would not know the consequences her mind would exact until more time passed.

She looked over at Nana's hands which were clutching the railing of the boat, and noticed they were contracting, and relaxing. It was a strange gesture as it would imply the natural desire to grip a surface tightly with flesh that could feel, but Nana's hands were not real and she could feel nothing. She realized however that the point was about wanting to feel like nothing had been lost. Emotionally, Mayu could feel herself doing the same thing; reaching out to find feelings that her old self used to feel, but nothing was there at the grasp of her mind.

Perhaps now was not the time for such awful truth to be faced. There would be plenty of time for all of that when the sun rose in the sky.

Mayu placed her hand over Nana's plastic one, and gripped it as if Nana would be able to feel the touch. She then looked up to face Nana and offered her a small smile, knowing that smile was darkened at the corners, and would forever be. Nana's bruises looked terrible, and Mayu felt like crying again at the sight of them. Anger crept into her heart and for a fraction of a second, she was glad she had killed that man.

She wished it had been Ghost. She wished they would have run into him on the way out. Mayu was reasonably sure there would have been no moral debate in her mind before shooting him…the bastard.

"Mayu…what is it?"

Mayu's teeth had gritted and a tear had slipped down her cheek. She hadn't meant to let that happen. The sound of Nana's voice was slightly jarring as it had been the first word spoken by any of them since leaving the institute.

"I…it's nothing Nana. I'm just glad you're ok…ARE you ok?"

She smiled knowingly at Mayu.

"Are you?"

Mayu smiled back, feelingly strangely warm inside at the exchange…at knowing and feeling the loss of their own innocence, but having gone through that transition together. Mayu sat down and Nana sat next to her, leaning her head against Mayu's shoulder.

"I told Papa once that I could never kill anyone. It was the only thing he ever asked me to do that I couldn't do."

Nana did not look up at Mayu, but simply kept speaking, staring into the cloudy night sky.

"I understood what death was by then, and I knew I could be facing it at any time. I had long ago accepted it and that if I died, it would be for Papa. You can't imagine how much I loved him Mayu. More than I think I could ever have loved someone in any way."

Nana's affection for her father had always confused Mayu. She spoke of him almost like a lover at times, and this was one of those times. It had then occurred to her that Nana growing up in the Institute would not have allowed her to understand the nature and boundaries of a parent/child relationship. From what Mayu understood, that man was not her biological father so there was a chance that such a relationship would have felt very different to Nana, who was excruciatingly honest about her feelings. Maybe to her…he _was_ her lover. It made Mayu's heart bleed for Nana. Losing a father, and a lover, in the same person, at the same time…she couldn't imagine the pain Nana must have been living with.

"But I told Papa…that I could never kill anyone. Even for him. Do you know why?"

She looked at Mayu then, her eyes filled with sadness.

"Because everyone has someone they love in the world, and how could I take a person's life who might have someone out there that loved them as much as I loved Papa? I could never do that to someone…hurt them so much. All I could think about was what if someone had asked someone like me to kill Papa? He set me upon Lucy and I wouldn't kill her either because something in me kept telling me the same thing. That there was someone out there that loved even her…somewhere."

She laughed quietly.

"I guess I was right about that one. Though for the life of me, I don't know how it could have happened…Kouta and Lucy. It was like she woke up and knew she loved him. Doesn't that sound strange?"

"I guess it does…"

That WAS strange actually…

"Anyway," Nana said, looking back out into the dark water, "I did exactly what I said I could never do. I killed someone. All this time, I kept thinking about what I had thought back then…what if someone had tried to hurt Papa? It never occurred to me that if something like that happened, I would be faced with the decision to take their life, no matter who was out there that might have loved the person trying to kill the people I myself loved."

Thunder rolled in the distance, but farther out now, as if the storm were receding to the edges of Kamakura. Watching…waiting.

"I made that choice for you Mayu. And I realized that I made it because I love you."

Mayu looked at Nana. She wasn't sure exactly what she meant with the words as her only experience with love previously had been her father, and that had been a confusing sort of love without a clear definition. What Mayu was sure of however, was the strength of that emotion, and that however Nana meant it…she meant it with all of her heart and soul.

"Nana…I…"

"Don't say anything Mayu. I know you probably don't understand…and I don't know how to explain it to you. I just wanted you to know that. I wanted you to know how important you are to me."

"Of course I know Nana. You're just as important to me."

Nana smiled and it was a bright smile that seemed to make her wounds vanish. She felt something in Nana relax and let go of the pain she was feeling, both physical and emotional. Mayu realized she didn't care at all whatsoever what the definition of that love was, or would become. The emotions were just as strong in her as they were in Nana.

"Thank you for coming back for me Mayu."

Mayu smiled back at her.

"What are friends for?"

* * *

><p>Bando stared out into the sea without taking in the details of anything. He did not notice the rise and fall of the craft they sailed upon, nor the sound of distant thunder or the cool breeze that made the wounds on his body sting as it ran over them. He could only see Ryota's face and felt only anger with himself that he could not settle things with him, or with Ghost…that fucker. There would be another chance. Of that, Bando was sure. He'd be damned if Ghost left Kamakura alive.<p>

Bit by bit, the adrenaline in his system began to thin out, and it was then that he considered Mayu and how she must be feeling. The thundering in his blood was something Bando was well used to, but Mayu would not be. She must be in shock right now. He would have gone to her but she was with Nana, and Bando did not want to intrude. It was a convenient excuse, for Bando really didn't know how to approach the two of them together. Mayu had seemed to forgive him for his attempt on Nana's life, but he still did not know what he should say or do now. Either way, it gave him time to think.

He knew it wasn't going to end here. Knew it couldn't end here. Even if the directors were all killed in that place, Ryota was still alive. He would be charged with containing the situation, and that would mean recapturing Nana. And what of Mayu? Or himself? They certainly couldn't have witnesses running around and there was that price on his head to consider. No, they weren't finished with the Institute. They would come looking for them. ALL of them. Lucy too, now that they knew she was alive. Bando knew the Institute would consider this a disaster of massive proportion, and he had a pretty good idea how they would respond. The way he figured it, he had a day to get them all out of Japan before the Institute, working in tandem with the Japanese government, instituted martial law, or a military perimeter at least, to work on closing in on them all. He knew escape would be impossible; he would never be able to evade local law enforcement with a group this size, and get out in time before the military hammer came down. He had stirred the hornets nest in the worst way possible. He knew it would likely not have been so bad if they had just left Nana to die in the facility.

No…that wasn't true. This was coming one way or the other. Lucy had still been free anyway and once they learned that, they would have taken the appropriate measures. All Bando's actions did, was start the chain of events sooner, and what of it anyway? If it was going to happen, let it happen now. Since escape was impossible, the only thing Bando could think to do, was to go after their pursuers, and destroy them. It was what he would most certainly have done were he alone.

He turned to look at Mayu, who was sitting calmly, speaking softly to Nana and stealing glances in his direction. Bando sighed. Unfortunately, he wasn't alone…dammit…how had he gotten himself into this situation? It seemed like he found himself in it all at once. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. What were they going to do now? He had to hide them, somewhere in Kamakura. They wouldn't expect that. They would expect them to try to put as much distance as they could from the Institute. The search would be focused more in the surrounding towns and cities around Kamakura. As long as they kept their heads down, they were in a prime position to observe their enemies' movements and formulate a plan to take them down.

Bando stared off again, seeing nothing. He would have to take Ryota down. He wasn't sure he could do that. Ghost he wasn't worried about, THAT would be satisfying, but Ryota…

He would be extremely difficult to defeat if it came down to that. Furthermore, Bando wasn't sure his heart would be in it. He didn't want things to end that way without settling up with Ryota. He needed to know if there was something of the man Bando had once known, still remaining in Ryota. He had to know what was keeping Ryota at his post…

…no…he knew deep down what he wanted.

He just wanted Ryota back. That was it wasn't it? He knew the real Ryota was buried deep down where no one could reach him, chased away by his self loathing…believing he had failed the last wishes of his mother. There was no one left in the world who had a chance of bringing him back except for Bando. For so long he had cared nothing about this.

But things had changed…

At the corner of his eye, he noticed Mayu placing a hand on Nana's shoulder, saying something to her, then standing up and walking over to him. Bando sighed. Mayu had shot a man at point blank range…and it was all his fault that it happened. If only he had looked after her better.

Mayu sat down close to him and leaned against his arm. She didn't start speaking immediately, and Bando was glad for that. Things were quiet now; no need for urgency. After a few moments, Mayu reached up and gently placed her hand over Bando's.

"Mayu…"

"It wasn't your fault Bando," she said, reading his thoughts. He tried to pull his hand away but she suddenly gripped it fiercely.

"Don't pull away from me," she whispered quietly, the change in her voice still audible in the whisper. It was a sound he was still getting used to; of a person old beyond their years. Even still, old habits caused him to reach out in an attempt to dislodge his hand from hers.

"Mayu…I don't think…"

"No, you certainly aren't thinking. You're trying to re-establish boundaries that have already been crossed. I know you, I know that's what you're doing right now. It has to stop."

Mayu had been adversarial with him before, but her tone now was different. It was not reactionary, or born from frustration. It was a quiet confidence of a person who had put a lot of thought into something, and was going to have their say. As if to confirm his assessment, she spoke again.

"I need to talk to you. There are some things I want to make clear."

He had a feeling that he knew what those things would be, and she was right…the boundaries had been crossed long ago. There was no going back now for the two of them. Mayu shifted until she was looking at his face and was at eye level. She reached up towards his face and turned it to look at her. The sight of her in the moonlight was breathtaking and he saw her in a way he hadn't allowed himself to before.

"I am in love with you Bando. I think I've been in love with you for a long time now. I haven't said anything to you about this before now because I knew you weren't ready to hear it. I've always known about your emotional walls. They're a shield…not a strength, but I respected them because I knew there were some things that were unresolved with you."

"And there still are…"

"I know that, I can feel it. But you've come a long way since when I first met you. I knew that you would hear me when I told you how I felt, instead of write me off as you once would have."

She reached up and caressed his face. He let her.

"I know it's also because you're so much older than I am. I know you think this is wrong for that reason."

"Mayu, I'm in my thirties…you can't expect…"

"I can, I will, and I do. You can't use that anymore to tell yourself this isn't real between us. Look in my eyes Bando. Tell me I don't know what I feel. Tell me you don't feel exactly the way I do."

He almost did it, in a final attempt to keep that remaining distance between them. But he couldn't do it…he couldn't utter lies to Mayu…

He loved her. He owed her the truth of that, after all she had been through with him, and for him.

"You can't can you?" she whispered. Bando only shook his head in reply.

"Then tell me Bando. Tell me the truth. I need to hear you say it."

She leaned forward until her forehead rested against his own, and looked deeply into his eyes. It was in that moment, that he let go of the last of his resistance, and gave in to the truth of his feelings.

"You're right Mayu. You've always been right about me. I don't think this is a joke…I know you understand things between us."

He pulled his face back slightly and raised his hand to run it gently through her hair. He took a breath and steadied himself to say the words.

"I'm in love with you too Mayu."

Her facial expression did not change, but he saw tears gather in her eyes. Slowly, she leaned forward and pressed her lips softly against his own, demanding nothing from him. Even now, she knew how far she could go. He had underestimated just how well she knew him. He had been underestimating her for a long time…it was time for that to end. She pulled back after a few moments that felt like both an eternity, and yet was over far too soon.

"I know you've been sitting here thinking about how and when to tell me you were leaving me behind Bando. I know you want to protect me."

Damn she was good…

"Mayu, I can't drag you into this more than I already ha…"

"Bando, shut up and listen."

She reached her arms around his neck and held him steady.

"I know you want to protect me. I know how you feel, because I feel that way too. I have people I want to protect as well. Those men that came after us…they'll want to recapture me won't they?"

"It's possible they'll look for you, yes. But they'll mostly be looking for your friend Nana, and especially Lucy."

"That means her and I can't go home. They'll track us down and find us. They'll hurt my family just for being near us like they came for me just for being near Nana."

He couldn't deny it. That was exactly what they would do.

"What would you have done, after you left me behind?" she asked him.

"I would have tracked down Ryota and Ghost…and killed them."

"To make them stop looking for us."

"To make them stop looking for you. Yes."

Mayu looked over to where Nana was sitting. The Diclonius girl seemed completely at peace, staring up at the cloudy night sky, though Bando could tell she was paying attention to both of them.

"Bando…"

He knew.

"I'll protect you Mayu. Both of you."

"But you'll still go after them. Won't you?"

"I have to. You know I have to."

"I know."

"I can help!" came Nana's voice suddenly. Bando had not even seen her approach. Nana's face was set in determination. Bando opened his mouth to protest needing the help of a Diclonius, but remembering his desire to make amends with, and understand her, he paused long enough for her to continue talking.

"I want to help…they're my family too. If this is what I have to do to go home to them. I'll do it."

"Nana, understand that this isn't going to be some game. They're going to be sending squads after us that are trained to hunt your kind. You don't know how to fight beyond using those hands of yours and that shit's not going to be good enough."

"Then you'll show me how. Besides yourself, I'm the best you've got in a fight. You think you can do everything yourself, but you can't. Couldn't beat Lucy on your own, could you?"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Bando!" Mayu cried out. She looked as if she were about to say more until Nana raised her arm to motion Mayu into silence.

"Look at my face Bando. I couldn't do everything myself either. We need each other's help on this and you know it. I can help you Bando, you know I can. I want those bastards as much as you do."

So, she was looking for some payback. Bando almost chuckled. He definitely understood that. He knew Nana wanted to protect the people she cared about, but vengeance was a powerful lure, and a dangerous one. He hoped Nana would be able to get control of it.

"Alright," Bando said, "we're all in this together anyway, so we might as well work together. When they come looking for us, we'll be ready."

"I don't think," came Arakawa's voice suddenly as she walked towards them, her arms wrapped around herself against the cold air that blew her loose garments about, "that you're all really ready for what it will mean when they 'come looking' for us."

Bando stood up and braced himself with one arm against the side of the boat as it swayed with the water. He saw her holding a strange device in one hand that looked like a portable radio, but very crude.

"You know, I'm actually glad you joined us…Arakawa right? I've been meaning to ask, what is this thing that only you can stop?"

* * *

><p>Arakawa held tightly to the radio, the receptacle of her deepest confessions, and her most urgent pleas. It had been her only confident in those dark hours in the bowels of the Institute. She had talked of her loneliness, her rape, her fears, her anger, everything. She wondered how much this man had heard of it. He certainly had heard her distress call. She knew she should be more grateful but she found herself feeling hostile towards him, as if he had been an intruder upon her thoughts. She was feeling more collected now that she had spent some time alone once again confessing to the radio; talking of her freedom and how happy she was to be alive. She had cried too once the horror of her violation had really hit her. She knew it was foolish to be talking into dead air, but it made her feel better, as it had done when she was locked away.<p>

Bando, and the two girls were staring at her now, and they saw what she wanted them to see. The strong, confident, collected scientist preparing to speak on a subject she knew much about. The instant respect and regard she was met with empowered her and she let the feeling wash away the dark emotions in her heart. She began to speak in a level tone.

"The Institute isn't going to let any of us go, that much is for sure, but soldiers on street corners are the least of our concerns."

"That's a bit of a tough sell lady," Bando said, "since that's pretty much our primary concern."

"Is it? How about an entire continent of Diclonius children? How about an entire fucking world full of them? That enough of a sell for you?"

The Diclonius child, Nana as she was called, stared in open mouth shock. Mayu looked at Bando who simply stared.

"Keep talking," he replied.

"In addition to them wanting to recapture number 7...Nana…over there, I'm sure you were able to figure out that the alert in the facility involved other Diclonius intruders."

"Wait a minute. Intruders? As in Diclonius that came from _outside_ as opposed to _inside_?"

"Lucy," Nana chimed in, "you're talking about Lucy aren't you?"

Bando threw his hands up, "what? You mean Lucy was THERE? You've got to be shitting me!"

"Yes," Arakawa continued, interrupting Bando's tirade, "I ran into Lucy. But from what I was able to figure out, they had an emergency with one of their own in house test subjects."

"I felt that too," Nana said, "something really really powerful. Worse than Mariko. There was so much rage…endless rage…"

"Wait a minute," Mayu said, "what was Lucy doing there?"

"Maybe looking for me," Nana said, with a measure of guilt.

"In any case," Arakawa broke in, "what the Institute has now, is a situation they are going to consider out of their control. From their point of view, they have three rouge Diclonius out there that just tore their facility apart, and are running free. They know that Diclonius can spread their DNA signature from merely touching humans with the vectors, so that's three vectors of the virus going around. To them, they don't just have three targets to recapture anymore. They have potentially hundreds to contain, and they're not going to be able to do that efficiently except with a massive quarantine, followed by a slash and burn protocol."

"Red Sky," Bando correctly guessed.

"Exactly. What Red Sky is supposed to be, is a two stage weapon with an effective radius of ten miles from the initial detonation of stage one. It won't take them long to set up a perimeter that wide to cut off all inbound and outbound traffic in the effect radius. Stage One is the spreading of a virus keyed to react to Diclonius cells, and Stage Two is the reactive agent which activates the virus once it has spread completely. The virus could never be fully separated from human cells since both human and Diclonius share the same basic cellular structure so the release of this pathogen would not only kill all Diclonius and infected humans, but it would likely outright kill a percentage of healthy people. This is how it would have worked under normal conditions."

"Normal conditions…can't believe I'm hearing this…"

"However," she went on, talking over him, "before my escape, I discovered former director Kakuzawa had sabotaged the stage one missile. He's loaded it with a compound he derived from research I had been conducting on the Diclonius cellular structure. He synthesized a compound that would act as a massive vector for the Diclonius DNA signature which would work in a similar fashion to how the viral weapon would have worked, but instead of killing Diclonius, it would just infect everything it touched. Every man, woman, and child within a ten mile radius of the detonation, would be inundated with the virus. Every child they ever had, would be born a Diclonius. It would spread like wildfire. One Diclinous by themselves could create a worldwide infection in about five years. If Red Sky is allowed to detonate over Kamakura…we could see a worldwide infection in less than one."

"It's not a virus!" Nana cried out suddenly, "how can you say that?"

"Well what would you call it?" Arakawa snapped back angrily. She was in no mood to be accommodating to a Diclonius at the moment while she was in the midst of talking about their threat to mankind.

"I don't know," Bando said, "you were talking about the spread of DNA. Kind of sounds like what happens with interracial children. You aren't about to suggest other races' DNA are like viruses, are you?"

"I…I didn't…that wasn't…" suddenly ashamed of herself, she fell silent.

Bando turned to Nana, "just the same, the Diclonius, if they start appearing in great numbers, will make humanity extinct if for no other reason then there will just be more of them born than us, but that isn't the real issue here. It won't just be breeding that does it, they'll kill us."

"And they'll kill each other too," Arakawa said, "because they weren't allowed to assimilate naturally into the world. They were killed off and stamped out throughout history. The way they would appear if this happens, would be too sudden. They wouldn't possess the instincts to deal with their own Diclonius children when they came of age and are able to use the vectors, and the children will not have developed instincts through evolution to not choose destruction as a default solution to the problems of infancy or early childhood. They would kill their parents, but then be unable to take care of themselves. They would themselves die, and the few that survived would not be enough for a sustainable gene pool. I would estimate, with those conditions, the complete eradication of the human, and Diclonius species, in forty to fifty years from the date of Red Sky's deployment."

She paused and let her words sink in. She felt the weight of them herself as well, perhaps more than they did…for she was the architect of Red Sky. She had to stop this…she would not allow her legacy to be the destruction of the human species.

Mayu had taken Nana's hand; the Diclonius girl's eyes growing downcast.

"Are we really such a threat to the world?" Nana said meekly, "was our birth a mistake?"

Bando stared at her harshly, imploring her to make things right. She knelt down to look at Nana.

"I'm sorry about what I said Nana. You're not the threat…we were the ones who held ourselves back from what we could have been. Now evolution is out of balance. That isn't your fault. If we are ever going to have a chance to rediscover the balance that was lost, we have to stop the Institute here. They're going to fire that weapon not knowing what they're doing."

"We could just tell them what Kakuzawa did," Bando said.

"No we couldn't. He was the only one with the code to access the compound storage area of the missile. Him, and a director from Rome. Erich Vanith. They have no reason to think that the missile is loaded with anything other than what they expect it to be loaded with, and they wouldn't know what they were looking at even if they removed the compound. Only myself and Kakuzawa would know and they sure as hell aren't going to listen to me or any of us. We're the fugitives."

"So what do we do?"

"I'm not sure yet…I need to think. We can go back to my place in Kamakura. It's safe now that they have me written up as dead in their records. They'll have destroyed all information regarding me, including my old address."

"Wait a minute…how can you be so sure they aren't going to look for us there if we go?"

Arakawa looked at her radio…and quickly looked away, hoping no one noticed her do it. They couldn't know…not yet.

"I just am, you'll have to trust me."

"Then it's settled," Bando said, "we go back to Kamakura, and hole up with you Arakawa. We'll figure out what to do from there. But one way or another, we're going to be up against Ryota and what remains of the S.A.T. army. We'll also have to deal with the local law enforcement and most likely Japanese military once they start setting up their quarantine. They'll keep it quiet at first so there isn't going to be martial law declared. We'll have that on our side. Unless anything major goes down in Kamakura involving the Diclonius, the security will be relatively light on the streets so we'll still be able to move around. If we're going to come up with a plan, we need to do it fast, before they decide to actually declare martial law…which they will."

"Agreed," Arakawa said. She felt better now that she had spoken to them all. It wasn't much, and so much would be riding on the four of them, but at least they had a direction now…a purpose. She was about to turn away when she saw the girl, Mayu, slide an arm around Bando's waist companionably, and he did the same. What the hell?

"Bando…don't you think you're a little ol…"

"Lady," Mayu said, pointing a finger at her, "I swear to God if you finish that sentence, I'll throw you off this boat."

She blinked, and Bando started laughing.

"She gets it from me."

Arakawa huffed, and couldn't help but smile. Who was she to judge? After all…

…she was in love with Ryota.

"_Please live Akane…I could not bear for a soul as bright as yours to wink out this way. If fate is kind, perhaps I can look upon you when your eyes aren't filled with sadness, fear, or regret."_

All that time, all those long hours talking to the radio…

…he had heard every word, and had always been listening.

She had tried to tell him of Red Sky at that moment when his voice came to her on the boat, but she discovered that the radio had been damaged during her escape and could no longer transmit messages, only receive them. He had been the one to tell her about the destruction of her personal records. He was trying to give her a chance to live through this. Would he listen when the time came to stop the weapon? Would the four of them even survive long enough to make a difference?

Only time would tell.

* * *

><p>It was like a dream.<p>

Kouta casually directed the boat as it moved across the water at a steady pace, and as he did so, he became lost in the scenery. The artist in him was screaming for a canvas to paint such a beautiful night. Morning would be coming soon, and the storm was beginning to recede somewhat. Enough so that the moon shone through the clouds occasionally, bathing the two of them in silver light, and illuminating the heavens for miles in a gentle glow. He could even see stars beginning to shine though. It was beautiful.

He let his gaze wander from the sky to Lucy, who was sitting in the boat, her arms wrapped around herself, staring blankly into the sea. He saw her shivering occasionally but she seemed not to notice. She was cold because soon after they had gotten into the boat, she had used the water to wash some of the blood off, and now the wind blew against her clothes where they were damp. He knew she was probably thinking of the Diclonius prisoner she had freed. Lucy had spoken briefly about her after he had asked, telling him that she looked a bit like Lucy herself did, yet so much different. Lucy had said that the woman had been jaded by her treatment in the Institute and was somewhat abrasive and her tongue sharp, but had been very grateful to be free and seemed to genuinely want to see her again. There was a measure of pride in Lucy's voice at the telling of her story, and he understood it. She had done what she had set out to do, the same as he. He wondered what the woman would be like when he met her.

He wondered if that was the cause of Lucy's concerned gaze. Maybe she was afraid that the woman she freed would not be able to function in the outside world. The woman would be dangerous simply for being a Diclonius; perhaps Lucy was worried about that.

"Lucy?" he ventured, trying to snap her out of her trance. He had to repeat himself before she snapped to attention.

"Oh…I'm sorry Kouta. I was just thinking…"

"I can see that. Want to talk about it? We've got some ways to go before we hit the shore."

She turned away again and sighed.

"I'm happy you came for me Kouta. I am."

"I had to. I tried to keep to what you asked me to do, but I couldn't let you go alone."

She smiled briefly and wrung her hands.

"I don't want you to do anything like that ever again Kouta."

"What?"

She turned towards him again, helpless frustration in her eyes.

"Do you have any idea how easily that could have gone differently for you? You had NO idea what you were walking into."

He felt a rising anger coming from her. Something he had never sensed before from her, being aimed directly at him.

"You're right, I didn't know. But I had to…"

"You got lucky in there Kouta. It's a wonder no one caught you before you found me. What if that had happened? We'd both be dead right now!"

"And what was I supposed to do Lucy? Sit at home for the next couple of weeks or months and agonize whether or not you'd ever come back? Does THAT sound like a better alternative?"

Now his own temper was being aroused. Did she really expect him to have just stayed behind and hope she didn't die in there?

"And that's another thing," Kouta continued, "this isn't going to be a common theme with you is it? Just running off risking your life unnecessarily because you feel you can?"

"It WASN'T unnecessary and you know it Kouta."

"Let's turn this around a little bit. YOU had no idea what that woman would have been like when you got there. What if she was dangerous and wound up trying to kill you when you freed her?"

"That's different, I…"

"Could handle it? Dammit Lucy that isn't the point!"

He was pushing her…he knew that…why was he pushing her? He was trying to see something from her, but even he wasn't sure what he was doing. Lucy's anger towards him was something alien, unfamiliar.

"We both walked into a situation that was unknown to us, and it could have gone either way for us both. You had your reasons for going in there, and I had mine for coming after you."

"But you can't do that anymore. You have to trust me that I can take care of myself. I can fight Kouta. You can't."

"What? Don't tell me what I can't do for the people I care about. And you did a goddamn amazing job taking care of yourself in there. You were almost killed Lucy!"

"AND SO WERE YOU!" Lucy screamed. Her fury at him broke and she stood up abruptly and stalked towards him. Kouta felt no fear but strangely, a sense of pride for her that he wasn't sure he understood.

Lucy grabbed his shirt in both fists.

"You listen to me Kouta. If a man fires a gun at both of us, I can survive. You can't. You aren't going to do this to me damn you. You aren't going to risk YOUR life. I can take it, you have to believe in that but I can't deal with the thought of you dying so you are going to let me handle things like this from now on."

"And what if I don't?"

"God….DAMN YOU!"

She was furious with him…because she knew she could let herself be furious with him. She had always been so careful in the past not to upset him, because there was still so much unresolved between them. Perhaps she didn't realize it, but this was a sign that she felt safer in their relationship. She was fighting him back…and that was why he was pushing her. He wanted her to fight back. He wanted her to exercise her new freedoms with him.

"Kouta I swear to God if you ever scare me like this again I'm going to…"

Kouta reached for her and kissed her, silencing her. She sobbed once involuntarily and kissed him back hungrily, grabbing his hair in her fists and laying against him, pushing him down against the boat. She seemed to forget her anger entirely as she kissed him, moving her arms to wrap them around his body, clutching his back as he encircled her waist with his own arms. After a few moments, they broke apart with her still lying on top of him, her hair falling down over his face and her beautiful eyes still filled with frustrated tears. Kouta's pride in her made him smile without meaning to. He didn't want to make light of her fears but he was just so happy that she actually had the courage to stand up to him emotionally, and without cold walls of indifference.

"You're going to do what again Lucy?"

"Kick…your…ass."

They both laughed then, all anger forgotten. Behind Lucy's head, Kouta could see the moon shining brightly through a break in the clouds, and stars gleaming in the sky around it in the faint light of the coming dawn.

"I love you so much Kouta. The thought of losing you terrifies me."

"I love you too Lucy. It terrifies me too. Don't ask me to leave you behind. You wouldn't do it to me."

"I know."

He pulled her down towards him and kissed her neck gently. She moaned softly as she slid one of her legs up so that his hand could reach her thigh and felt her fingernails press into his back as he caressed it.

"Kouta…can this thing drive itself?"

"This one can yes…we're only going in one general direction."

"Good…I want you so much right now."

Her words set his blood on fire. She wouldn't have to tell him twice. It was perfect; they were alone out at sea, with the moon shining through storm clouds, and the night air creating a calming din, and they had hours before sunrise. They would not be wasted.

It was like a dream.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>I have had a few people suggest I do this so I'm going to throw it out there for anyone interested. I've made a Twitter account under the name Seraphobic, specifically for things related to this story. Instead of posting minor updates on my profile (or endless author's notes), I can actually do it there to keep folks more or less abreast of my progress, or anything that might be slowing it down. Thanks to all you guys who are keeping up with this, and offering valuable ideas and inspiration!


	18. What Lies in Wait

"Erich…"

The gentle whisper slowly stirred him from sleep.

In the haze of his vision as he slowly strained against the cold light of dawn, he saw only varying shades of light and shadow, and something of the dream he had left behind. He had dreamt of hanging helplessly from a rope over a pit of nothingness…uncertainty. All around him had been a thousand eyes…no…a million, watching him struggle. It had suddenly shifted to a scene where he was in a meadow, and everything around him was serenity. He could smell the scent of various flowers which was very reminiscent of Celine's perfume that she often wore. He had seen her face before him in the dream, smiling. He tried to speak to her but no sound ever came out of his mouth.

"Erich…" she had whispered. The sound that called him from sleep. Celine…

As his senses began to come into focus somewhat, he could smell the scent of various shampoos and bath water. Celine must have just gotten back and taken a shower. It was well past sunrise…she must have been at the Institute all night working things out, but still found time to shower, and wake him instead of just falling asleep immediately. He had certainly done that once he had arrived at Celine's home. Everything had been exactly as he remembered it. The art on the walls, sculptures in the corners, the simple elegance of the place. It had felt at once, both familiar and comforting, yet alien and hostile. His mind had been a whirlwind of emotions and confusion, and as he tossed and turned during his fitful rest, he felt like he was not where he belonged at all.

"Wake up Erich…" came the gentle whisper. As his vision cleared even more, he saw Celine's face inches from his own. He smiled.

"Welcome home baby," he said, and leaned forward to kiss her. She was strangely unresponsive as he did this. Perhaps she was just tired. Water from her shower dripped from her hair onto his face, and he laughed as he raised a hand to wipe it away.

"Couldn't wait to dry off could you?"

"No Erich…I couldn't wait."

He laughed and looked over to look at the clock that was sitting on a dresser beside the bed. He felt Celine shift on top of him. He hadn't even realized she had climbed atop him. She rubbed herself against him and he felt himself begin to swell and rise. Looks like she wanted to play before letting herself sleep. The energy of that woman was astounding. He couldn't see the numbers on the clock from the angle it was turned, so he reached his hand out towards it…

…and saw blood on his hand.

It was the hand he had wiped his face with.

For a few moments, he only stared at the blood, full consciousness slamming into him like an oncoming car. Blood? She was bleeding? What…

"Celine? What's…"

He turned to her then, and it took him too long to register what he was seeing. It was Celine's face but it was all wrong…her face was contorted in a ghastly stare, and blood ran in rivulets down her face and in her hair that was matted from dried blood. Her eyes looked in different directions from one another, and as her head moved slightly, he saw blood drain from her mouth onto his chest. Looking down, he saw the bloody mess on his body and he gasped in horror, pushing away from her face and into a sitting position. It was only then that he saw the full picture.

It was Celine's head. It had been cut from her body. And the person holding it was…

"Good morning Erich. I've been waiting a long…long time for this."

It was her…Angel. She was right there in front of him in all her awful glory. She was perched on the bed in front of him, wearing one of Celine's shirts, a long sleeved, button up white shirt that came down to her hips where Erich noticed she wore nothing else. Her hair glistened as it was wet from the shower she had taken before coming to wake Erich. Her smile was wretched and horrible, and full of pleasure at Erich's horror as she tossed Celine's head onto the floor, reaching out with blood splattered hands to touch and drag her fingernails lightly down Erich's bare chest. He felt like he was going to wet himself.

"How…how did you…there's…it's impossible…you couldn't have…"

"Escaped? Of course it was possible Erich. You always knew anything was possible with me. It was why you always kept me under such careful watch and security. But all that is over now. I broke your security and left your world in ashes. You're mine now…the way it always should have been."

"No…no…no…Celine…"

"What the fuck did you want with her? We both know that was nothing more than a distraction."

"SHE WASN'T JUST A DISTRACTION!"

"awwww, sshhhhhh," she whispered as she slid further up Erich's body and reached for his head. He instinctively tried to fight back but felt her vectors grab his arms and force them to his side. He couldn't even move them an inch. She ran her bloodstained fingers through his hair and stared at him.

"They were all distractions, everything in your life. When you were with me…THAT was when it was real. I have been the center of your world for years now, but you have spent this entire time pretending that I was nothing but a job."

"You ARE just a job Angel. That's all you EVER were!"

She smiled at him. He was furious…hated her. She killed Celine…how did she do it? When? His world in ashes…what was happening back at the Institute?

"What have you done Angel?"

"I think it's better if you see it. I want you to see it, but not yet. Like I said…I simply couldn't wait. I wanted to see you first, before you left for 'work'".

She laughed mockingly. He tried again to struggle against her but he was powerless. He was completely at her mercy. Panic screamed through him at being so woefully out of control of the situation. As he tried to raise his body, he unintentionally rubbed himself between her legs and she moaned in pleasure.

"Mmm…don't stop Erich."

He felt like throwing up.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME YOU BITCH!"

"Not this time Erich. This time I tell YOU what to do, and you do it."

"They're going to come after you Angel! They're going to find you and they're going to recapture you, and when they do I will personally rip your motherfucking guts out!"

"Erich," she said calmly, "you really need to relax."

"GOD DAMN YOU! LET ME GO! LET ME FUCKING GO! I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Erich…if you don't shut the fuck up right now, I'm going to rip your tongue out with my bare hands."

He fell silent, knowing with her that it was a literal threat.

"Be still," she whispered. He had no choice and he felt something in him snap as he gave in to her demand. There was no help coming, there was nothing he could do. He was at her mercy entirely, and he had no choice but to accept that fact.

"I came here to give you something you've always wanted from me Erich. I would think you'd be more grateful."

His breathing was heavy with anger as he stared at her with hatred in his eyes, and in his heart.

"I want nothing from you Angel, except for you to die."

"You're a bit sore about Celine, I get that. That will pass, I promise you."

"Damn you Angel, what do you want from me!"

"It's not about what I want Erich. It's about what you want."

Angel leaned forward as she slowly unbuttoned the shirt, opening it and pressing her body against Erich as she whispered in his ear.

"You've been asking me the same questions for five years. Who am I? My name, my past, my birth…my secrets? Remember what I always told you back then? At the end of our little chats?"

He remembered. She was often evasive when he had tried to press her about her past and often just wound up offering her details about his own life instead, getting nothing in return as she ran rings around him, smiling at him in such a way that he knew he had lost the battle of wits. He had been losing that battle for five years.

"You always said it wasn't time yet. That one day I would be ready to hear it."

"You wanted me on your terms Erich, but that is not the way this is going to work. You weren't ready back then because you had a future to prepare for and now you stand on the crucial moment of that future. But you're weak Erich…I know it…I can feel it. You'll reach the edge, and you'll look down…but you won't jump. I can show you how."

She pulled back and looked deeply into his eyes. He had always been unnerved by her stare. He had not been prepared to see it when she was not in restraints or under the Institute's power somehow.

"You want to know who I am Erich? I'm going to show you. So I'll make you a deal. I'll let you live for now, so you can go back to what I left you with back on that island. Go and tell them to come find me. They'll fail, but you know that. You'll try to control things the way you always do, and when I come for you again, you'll understand that there's nothing you can do to stop this. And you don't want to stop this Erich…I know you don't. You started this the moment you took me with you that first day."

"What…what are you talking about? Stop what?"

She smiled that awful smile and encircled her arms around his neck.

"I'll stay here, in Kamakura. You won't have to look far to find me…besides…I have such stories to tell from my time here. Before they found me. And you want to hear them…don't you?"

As much as he hated her, as much as he was horrified and disgusted by her…he could not deny it. She was right about his curiosity. For five years he had been trying to find out who she was. What had began as a routine chore to gather information on his test subject, had become a game he wanted to win, and from there, had evolved into an obsession before he had ever realized it. Could she have played this game with him to turn it into an obsession? He was already willing to put aside his grief for Celine to know the truth. Did Angel know she could do this to him? How much would he be willing to give up for this?

"Of course…you do…baby."

She slid her hands down his body, towards his hips…towards…

"Don't…fucking don't Angel! Get the hell off me!"

"Don't pretend that you don't want this…all of it. I can feel how much you do want it. I could always feel it…in your eyes, in your anger at the world, all those little things you said to me when you thought I wasn't listening or reading between the lines. I can see the chains all over you."

Against all of his attempts to resist, he felt himself responding to her touch. He spat in her face and she inhaled sharply, exhaling in a shuddering breath as she laughed with pleasure.

"I'm going to break those chains Erich…and then I'm going to break you."

"Fuck you!"

"No Erich…I'M going to fuck you. While she watches."

Erich saw Celine's head being lifted off of the ground by an invisible force, and roughly forced on the dresser by the bed. Angel forced Erich's head to look at Celine. It seemed even more ghastly than before, and Erich wondered how she could ever have been alive once…and beautiful. He wasn't going to be able to stop Angel…he felt like he was going to be sick.

"Angel…please…don't."

"That's it baby…call my name…you can scream it if you want to…and believe me Erich…you WILL scream."

He knew she would be right.

* * *

><p>He didn't remember getting on the boat, or arguing with the shore squad who urged him not to take the craft to The Institute. He didn't remember the ride across the water; cold morning air slashing through him like knives as he stared at nothing at all. He didn't remember docking, or the escort team showing up to get his attention so that they could bring him further within the facility. What he did remember, was everything he witnessed the moment he stepped off of the boat and left the landing area to view the facility from outside.<p>

The beach was swarming with soldiers and medics who were picking through what Erich could tell were dead bodies. Walking over the sand he felt the crunch of bullet casings against the grain; some areas so thick with spent casings that he nearly fell over. One of the men in his escort had reached out to steady him but Erich slapped his hand away. Once again, he received that look…the same look he had been getting from most everyone who looked at him as he'd exited the boat. Erich was dressed the part, the same as he had ever been. Everything about his physical dress exuded authority and control. It was his face, his eyes, that gave him away to everyone who looked upon him. He could not keep the distress and anxiety out of his face and he knew he looked as splintered as he felt. Step by step, he walked into hell.

His escort had briefed him on some of what had happened. Diclonius subject number 5...Angel…had escaped. That much Erich was very much aware of. She had rampaged throughout the facility, completely decimating Ghost Squad, leaving only its squad leader alive for reasons unknown. She had then torn through the perimeter defense that another S.A.T team had erected to protect the evacuation of the directors from the facility. No one was exactly sure how she had managed to bring the helicopter down, but it had appeared there were no survivors…save one. The man he was on his way to speak with now.

Director Westmore.

It would figure that he would be the only survivor. Westmore had never quite seen eye to eye with the other directors, much like Erich had not, but with Westmore it was different. He seemed to imagine he possessed some right to be the spokesperson for all the directors, and indeed, if there had been a system in place to where all would answer to one, Erich was sure Westmore would have wanted to be that one. In a way, Erich understood. After all, it had been his aspiration, but Erich was different from Westmore. Erich wished to change the world. Westmore just wanted to own it. He supposed that desire was what was typical of Americans. It was exactly why Westmore would never be worthy of such a mantle.

_Fucking shame she didn't kill you too._

Thinking about Angel made him freeze up and his breath catch.

"Sir?" one of his escorts said, looking at him questioningly. Erich regained his composure, at least as much of it as he could, and began walking again.

"I'm fine," he lied.

A piece of good news was that the S.A.T commander of the Kamakura Institute was also still alive, Commander Ryota. Erich had met the man a few times shortly after he had arrived in Kamakura. He was a clam and steady sort of individual, and loyal to a fault. Just the type of man Erich liked. He would have preferred to hear his report rather than this pompous fool he was being brought to speak with, who was likely still scrambling to clean the shit out of his pants from his near death experience.

As they walked inside, the transformation was almost immediate. From the outside, everything had looked relatively fine; the only evidence that something had gone wrong being the single plume of smoke rising from the helipad. The second he stepped through the door, he saw the blood. Soldiers and medics crowded the hallways here as well, collecting bodies and checking security footage, what there was of it. From the bits of conversation he was able to make out as they walked, at some point during the attack, the main generator had been damaged and most of the security cameras just blinked off except for the ones deeper within the facility that were always operating on an alternative power source. Just as well, he was sure he wouldn't have wanted to see what horrific images those cameras had captured.

As they walked deeper within the facility, he saw a few dead from gunshot wounds, and heard from some soldiers about other intruders. Perhaps they were basing that off of the deaths from firearms. Erich knew better. Angel knew how to use firearms…more than any of them really wanted to know or imagine. The chatter frustrated him…these people did not know what they were dealing with. Westmore had absolutely no idea. It would be up to Erich to explain to him exactly what he was up against. If Erich could get back in control of the Institute's forces, he would be able to direct them against Angel in such a way that she could be beaten. None knew her like he did. He was their best chance to defeat Angel. Recapturing her would no longer be an option, that much he knew. She had to be destroyed, it was the only way now.

That wasn't true. He wanted revenge. He would spin it as a proper course of action for the Institute, but he wanted vengeance upon Angel for what she had done to Celine…and what she had done to him…for hours…

"_Tell her goodbye Erich…"_

"_Fuck…you…Angel…you monster…"_

"_Touché Dr. Frankenstein. Am I everything you hoped I would be?"_

He shook his head in a vain attempt to rid himself of the images, and the pain.

"_You haven't seen anything yet…baby…"_

"Director Vanith?" one of the escorts said again, giving him that questioning look, "are you sure you're alright?"

"Are we almost there? I'm getting tired of this rat maze."

"Just through here sir."

"Relay this message to your squad captain, I want to speak with Base Commander Ryota when I am through here."

"Yes sir."

They had arrived at the executive medical wing. Kind of funny, Erich mused, that Kakuzawa had set up an entirely separate medical area for himself, the top brass, and any of his "projects", those poor souls who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and wound up disappearing as human experiments. Most other medical operations were in an external building from the main facility. The equipment and training on both areas were of course, top of the line, but there was a bit more offered with the machinery set up within the executive medical area. It was where the use of cybernetics in surgery had been born. There was a S.A.T deserter out there that had received some of that treatment to get eye replacements and a new hand. A lot of similar technology had been used on Angel to enhance her skeletal structure…

_Can't think about her…can't…can't…_

…they were making advances in such research everyday. He wondered how many would be saved by this technology, born of funding from Diclonius research, and perfected through human and Diclonious experimentation.

He walked into the room and waved his escort away, closing the door gently behind him. In the middle of the room, lightly bandaged but otherwise not the worse for wear, was Director Westmore. For his ordeal, he looked much more composed than Erich himself looked, his short blonde hair parted meticulously and only slightly still matted with dried blood. He looked good for a wreck. Erich supposed that he looked much the same.

"You look like shit Westmore," he said.

"And you look worse Vanith. You weren't even here…and you look like you need a doctor."

"I'm fine," Erich said roughly.

"Clearly," Westmore said condescendingly. Screw the pleasantries…

"What happened here Westmore? I left for the night and came back to a goddamn catastrophe in the morning."

Westmore took a moment to stare disdainfully at Erich before beginning to talk.

"I've been talking to a number of squad commanders and Ryota himself…as well as Sergeant Rin who's currently in cybernetics undergoing skeletal reconstruction surgery."

"Christ…"

"I'm not sure when it started going wrong or who was responsible, but we had a number of intruders break in here last night shortly after you left for the mainland. After compiling some reports, it appears the perimeter suffered a direct assault from former S.A.T squad leader Bando Kimura, and they were unable to prevent him from infiltrating the facility. No one knows why he came back or what he did here beyond causing a shitstorm. He knocked out the power so that's why there's not a lot of video footage of the incident, however the little I WAS able to see showed another intruder who had made it inside before Bando did. It was confirmed by Ryota himself, but Kakuzawa's long lost Diclonius, Lucy, was here as well. Survivor's reports say she showed up, and destroyed an entire squad single-handedly."

"Speaking of Kakuzawa, is he still secure? What happened to him after the grid went down?"

Westmore looked at him strangely.

"Apparently he never made it to his cell. No one's sure exactly how he slipped his bonds, but what we do know is that he never made it out of the facility alive. He was unfortunate enough to run into Lucy during his escape. He never stood a chance. They're still cleaning him off the floor and walls of the executive landing area."

So he was dead. Good riddance. Perhaps he'd thank Lucy after they captured her. Kakuzawa was a fool, constantly underestimating those around him. Especially his prisoners.

Enough of this…he didn't care about any of this. There was only one thing he wanted to know.

"How did Angel escape?"

"Who?"

"Test subject number 5."

Westmore looked at him strangely then, and Erich swore he saw a smile on his lips to go along with the sudden calculating gaze. Erich couldn't help but feel like he was walking into a trap.

"We don't know," Westmore said, still looking at him curiously, "someone turned off all the cameras in that part of the facility before the blackout. There was an executive lock on the security controls. I had actually planned to ask YOU how she escaped."

"You're implying I had something to do with this? Are you insane?"

"I don't know Vanith, I just know earlier tonight your fucking monster got loose and started slaughtering people left and right, and shot down the helicopter I was hoping to escape your mess in…"

"MY mess? I wasn't even there! Where the hell were you? Where was security?"

"…and when I go to the monitors to find out how the fuck that happened, I find myself locked out and that there's no footage of her escaping her containment area. Put yourself in my shoes right now Vanith. What would YOU think?"

He was right, it looked very bad for him…how had this happened? Angel was absolutely secure when he had left her. He couldn't tell Westmore about Celine. He felt like exposing their relationship would be betraying her memory somehow. She had been the one to turn the cameras off.

"Wait a minute," Erich said suddenly, "SHOT down?"

"Yes Erich. SHOT DOWN! Apparently that freak got her hands on a fucking RPG and brought us down with it. How in godless hell does she know how to use that? Sergeant Rin told me she was using handguns, assault rifles, and some strange combination of martial arts and military CQC during her slaughter of Ghost Squad. I admit, when you said you were training your girls to fight, I didn't think you were training them to be…THAT."

He looked panicked. Good. Erich was about to make him panic even more. He had to understand the situation.

"Number Five…Angel…is different from the other girls I have trained. The other girls were just killers, Angel is something more. You sound interested to know exactly what kind of killer she is so I'm going to tell you. I'm going to tell you so that you know what you're up against and why we have to take this shit a lot more seriously than this Institute has been taking its prisoners up until now."

Erich took a breath, how did one summarize the five years he spent with Angel? It was so much more, and worse, than training. He composed himself as he began to speak.

"When I first met Angel, she was newly captured by the Institute. She had been picked up in a city near Kamakura, a place called Zushi. She was being tracked there as part of an ongoing investigation of a mass murder in Kamakura which had been covered up by the Kamakura Institute. They found her only after she had killed another mass of people, this time in Zushi, the death toll about fifteen or sixteen. The murder scene had been in a series of back alleys and it had made her difficult to capture. She killed two agents before she could be subdued.

I wrote up her psych profile. She possessed the mental facilities to make her a killer, which was something I had to previously cultivate within other test subjects I had. Angel was different because for some reason, she already had a taste for it. Like most Diclonius, she was intelligent, but her IQ was off the scale, greater than I had ever seen in another subject. Her critical thinking skills, as they pertain to tactics and combat, were razor sharp, especially after she had undergone education in those things. She had the intelligence to quickly learn anything she was taught and so I tested that knowledge with weapons."

"So you taught her how to use guns? How much does she know?"

"You'll sleep better not knowing the answer to that. Let's just say, don't let her get near ANYTHING that fires a projectile of any kind. I don't care if it's a fucking slingshot. She knew how to use an RPG when she was fifteen."

Westmore's fists tightened involuntarily, Erich went on.

"After weapons, she was put through various programs to teach her hand to hand combat to combine those skills with the use of her vectors. She had already developed a habit of integrating four of her six vectors into the muscular system of her arms and legs, and combined with her reinforced skeletal structure, she could perform feats of strength unheard of by even Diclonius standards. She didn't just use the vectors as weapons, she used them to sharpen and enhance her own developing combat skills. In other words, she doesn't block bullets. She dodges them. She favors skill over smashing her vectors around like many Diclonius.

Lastly, I put her through field operations, which is what Kakuzawa alluded to when he spoke of me letting her "run loose on the streets". Some of the Diclonius girls I was working with did not have explosives implanted within them and when there were escapes, I found an economical way to deal with those situations."

His eyes hardened as he looked at Westmore.

"I set Angel upon them. Sometimes the tracking would take a day or two. After a while I just started releasing test subjects so that Angel could hunt, as part of her training. Angel's stints in the world suddenly began to get longer. One time it was a week. Another time it was almost a month. It had gotten to the point one time where I had sent teams out to retrieve her only to discover Angel had accomplished her mission long ago and was…"

Erich swallowed roughly.

"Having fun…"

"What do you mean ha…"

"Westmore…you don't want to know."

He didn't want to think of the sordid indulgences, the dead bodies, the anguished cries of her tortured victims. He knew there would be enough of that coming very soon.

"Out there in the world, she taught herself the rest. She can operate vehicles, she can assimilate herself within society…"

"Alright Erich, I get the point. Your monster is perfect. You sound almost proud."

Once he had been. Now he was only afraid.

"I'm telling you this so that you understand what you're up against. I know how you want to react to this situation, even though you almost died yourself. You're going to track her and try to retrieve her. You're going to treat her like you would any other Diclonius but you can't handle Angel this way. You have to let me control the process of her elimination because Westmore if you make ONE mistake with this woman…you're dead. You and everyone you bring to her…dead."

"So, we're to put you in charge then Vanith?"

"You need my help on this. I know Angel, I can help our forces bring her down."

There it was again…that calculating look in his eyes…just what was Westmore planning?

"And we're to destroy your 'ultimate weapon' yes?"

"Recapture is impossible at this point. She won't let us. She'll fight to the death and unless we play for keeps, WE'LL be the ones to die."

"This ruins all our plans Erich. You realize that don't you? We need Angel."

"How can you still say that after what happened to you?"

"Oh I don't know Erich…maybe things aren't what they seem. You of all people should appreciate that."

"I'm not sure I follow."

Westmore stood up and brushed himself off.

"You've made your point about test subject number five. After we take stock of our losses we'll start putting a strike team together to take her down. In the meantime, I need to make some calls. There are a bunch of Diclonius out there and we have to keep this situation contained as much as we can. I'll be calling Japan's government to have JSDF create a perimeter around the Kanagawa Prefecture. I need you to speak with Commander Ryota. We need to put Red Sky on standby, in case our attempts at destroying number five, and reclaiming the other lost Diclonius, fail."

Westmore started walking out of the room, then turned around to address Erich once more.

"I'm also putting a call into my institute in Maine for reinforcements. You lost a lot of men last night, and we'll need more to get this job done."

"Right…of course."

This wasn't good. Westmore was right, they HAD lost a lot of men. They would essentially have to supplement half of Kamakura's forces with Westmore's men. Erich wasn't sure he liked where all of this was going. Westmore was right about one other thing. He needed to talk to Ryota.

* * *

><p>He found Ryota in a break room, insulated from the frantic comings and goings of his soldiers as they tried to pick up the pieces. The room was small and offered a clear view of the ocean and the rising sun through large windows. The sky was still largely grey, as if another storm was threatening, but it was broken in many places, allowing sunlight to shine through like blades of light piercing the veil of clouds.<p>

"Beautiful…isn't it?" Ryota said, without turning around.

When Erich didn't answer, Ryota slowly turned around, turning his back firmly on the scene.

"Well Director Vanith. As you can see, we have had quite a time of it here."

"I'm sorry about your men."

"They knew the risks, and so do the survivors. Every one has reported in, no desertions."

"That's good news, we're going to need those men."

"To destroy or recapture?"

"Recapture Lucy and number seven if we can. Number five is to be destroyed."

"I see. And the others? Bando and the other escapees?"

"You know our policy. We can't let them live."

"Understood Director."

There was something in his eyes then, a flicker. A calculation just the same as he'd observed in Westmore, but it was different in Ryota. He did not sense greed in Ryota the way he felt it in Westmore. He wondered what Ryota's plans were as well. Erich cursed himself; he used to be so good at reading people. Now it seemed all he could ever be sure of was that there were ulterior motives all around him, and he was merely being carried about in the storm.

"You're also to prepare Red Sky for deployment," Erich said, "in the event we cannot handle this quietly."

"Or as quietly as can be expected…given the circumstances."

"Precisely," Erich said, giving him a sideways look. If he was going to get ahead of Westmore…he had to start now.

"Ryota…listen to me. I think Westmore wants to recapture Angel…number five."

Ryota merely stared at him, saying nothing.

"We can't let that happen. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir Director Vanith. Believe me…I understand."

"He's bringing men with him from America. I have a feeling he's going to use those men to attempt to seize control of things here when the opportunity presents itself. I need to know that no matter what happens, you'll take Angel down. I need to know you'll activate Red Sky if it all goes to shit. I don't care what else happens, but she cannot be allowed to leave Kamakura alive."

"I assure you sir. She will not survive our retribution. Once Sergeant Rin recovers, which I expect to be soon, we will begin preparations with your leave to begin tracking down number five."

"Ryota…she's not like a normal Diclonius…you have to…"

"Erich," he said solemnly, "I recovered the video feed of what she did to Ghost Squad. I destroyed it, for no one else needs to see what I saw. I know what she is capable of. And so does Ghost."

"Who?"

"Sergeant Rin. Should you speak with him, might I ask you a small favor?"

"Of course."

"Call him Ghost. He wears his pseudonym like armor, and he will need it. He is our best chance of defeating Angel. He certainly will be after he is through with surgery."

Of course he would. They were enhancing him in cybernetics much like they had done their former squad leader. He wondered what kind of monster they were creating now. So much of this was out of control…

"_How does it feel baby? Lying there…helpless."_

Jesus…no…can't…think…

"_Let go Erich. You're choking on your own chains. You're going to crack…and we can't have that…not yet."_

"Director Vanith? Are you ok?"

He had covered his face with his hands and felt his own fingernails digging into his forehead. He slowly removed them from his face and stared at Ryota, fixing his glasses as he did so. Ryota looked at him as if he knew.

"I'm a bit under the weather. I think I need to lie down."

"Stay here for now sir. It's a beautiful morning, I recommend taking it in. I have your orders, and I will see to it that they're carried out."

"Thank you Commander."

Ryota left the room and Erich walked slowly to the large windows in the room, extending a hand to brace himself against the glass, blotting out the sun.

"_I'll be waiting for you Erich."_

He felt like she had already taken so much from him, even before she had slipped her bonds. What else was there left to take? He was sure whatever there was, she would take it. In the heart of the Institute, surrounded by soldiers, and a weapon designed to wipe her kind completely out, he did not feel safe or confident. Definitely not as confident as Ryota or Westmore had seemed. He was in the endgame with Angel now, he knew that. She would not let anything stop her.

Somewhere…deep within the darkest recesses of his soul…

…he felt comfort with that…


	19. Arrival

They were weary as they made their way back to Maple Inn.

It had been a long walk back home from the beach; Kouta and Lucy practically holding one another up as they fought off physical and emotional exhaustion. The only think Kouta could think about, was going to sleep, and he knew Lucy was thinking the same thing too as she occasionally cast a weary gaze upon Kouta; smiling warmly and with love in her eyes. At one point during the walk they actually rested for a few moments; taking a few steps into a narrow walkway between a walled structure and another building. Kouta had leaned up against the wall and Lucy practically fell against him, reaching behind him and grabbing his shoulder as he slid his arms around her waist to hold her up.

"I think," she said in the midst of a yawn, "having you on the boat may not have been the wisest decision. I think that was the last of my energy."

She looked up at him and kissed his lips softly, smiling as she pulled away.

"But god it was worth it…"

Kouta laughed and ran a hand through her hair; her eyes sliding shut as she pressed into his hand.

"More than worth it," he said quietly.

"Enough to convince you to carry me the rest of the way home?"

"Almost," he said with a grin as he slowly pushed off of the wall and took her hand in his once more to continue making their way home. As they walked, he felt Lucy lean her head against his shoulder.

"I love you Kouta."

It was always like the first time she had said the words to him. They went straight to his heart and made him feel weak with the strength and honestly of Lucy's emotions. Sometimes, like now, they rendered him unable to speak, and so he squeezed her hand in response. She knew very well the effect she had on him, just as he knew his own effect on her. The more time they had spent together as lovers, the more it just seemed apparent that they had been made for one another.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the walkway which would take them to the front door of the inn. Kouta could actually see the house up ahead and resisted the urge to speed up, knowing he would only drag Lucy if he did so; her being as exhausted as she was. He was dying to collapse in bed. He wouldn't even bother undressing, and he was rather sure he would be unconscious before his head hit the pillow. Looking over towards Lucy, he could tell she was thinking the same thing.

"Just a little further…we're almost home," he said.

"How about just carrying me from here, to the bed. You can do that right?"

"Aren't you a Diclonius? Why aren't we just floating home? I half expected you to carry ME home like I was the damsel."

"Because my mind feels like it just did a thousand pushups, and I'm so tired I couldn't concentrate anyway. I don't think I could move a chair to sit down in, let alone carry you around like luggage."

"Plenty of energy back on the boat," Kouta teased.

"And with proper motivation, I may find a little more," she said, giving him a sideways glance, and a small smile. He laughed in the midst of a yawn.

They reached the door to the courtyard and slid it open, closing it behind them as quietly as they'd entered. Wanta poked his head out of his doghouse and uttered a single bark of surprise to find intruders in the courtyard but upon recognizing Kouta and Lucy, simply uttered a sleepy woof, and went back inside. Arriving at the front door, Kouta reached out for the handle to open it, only to watch it slide open of its own accord.

Well…not exactly of its own accord.

"KOUTA!"

Standing before him, was the panicked form of Yuka, who's bleary eyes told a grim story of a person who had stayed up all night with worry. Guilt crashed down on him as he took a step away from Lucy, lifting his arms in supplication.

"Yuka, I'm sorry I…"

She reared her hand back and slapped him hard in the face, and his exhaustion did not allow him to keep himself upright. He slumped against the wall and had to brace roughly with his legs to keep from falling over.

"How dare you do that to me Kouta! You were gone all night and I had NO idea where you were. Where either of you were! You had no right to do that to…"

It happened before Kouta even noticed, but Lucy stalked forward and grabbed Yuka's shirt in both fists, slamming her against the wall and glaring at her with anger.

"You do that ever again Yuka…you EVER lay a hand on Kouta like that again, and I will make you goddamn sorry."

At first there was fear in Yuka's eyes, and Kouta realized that she was thinking of what Lucy could do to her as a Diclonius. The fear gave way to anger however as Yuka slapped Lucy's hands away.

"This is YOUR fault Lucy! Kouta went out looking for YOU! Where the hell were you?"

Kouta saw Lucy's anger falter as she turned her head towards Kouta, seemingly beseeching him for something to say.

"I…"

"You know what?" Yuka said angrily, "I'm tired of this. You're both going to hear me out right now. Lucy, you know I love him, and despite everything, I love you too because you're family. I would never hide anything from either of you or keep secrets, but you BOTH do it to me all the time even though I try so hard for the both of you. I respect the secrets that you both choose to keep, I try to keep it together when you both exclude me from your lives and I see you both getting further and further from me…do you know how much that scares me? Frightens me that I might lose him again?"

Yuka turned to Kouta, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"I don't know if that would be worse for me than if you just vanished without a trace. Knowing where you are but just watching you exit my life slowly. That's beside the point. The point is that I care about you both but it's just fine for you to vanish in the middle of the night without telling me anything. You scared the hell out of me Kouta with all of that cryptic stuff you were saying before you left…and so soon after she left the house. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew you thought Lucy was in some kind of trouble. Why else would you have stalked out into the night after her? So here I sat all night, knowing in my heart of hearts that you were probably both in danger from something I've never seen or heard about, and not knowing if EITHER of you would ever come back home."

She angrily wiped at her eyes and walked towards Kouta, brushing past Lucy.

"How could you Kouta? How could you do that to me? It would be different if you at least talked to me and told me what was going on. What have I done so wrong to you Kouta? Why would you do that to me? Why do you never talk to me?"

"Yuka I…"

"You can't right? Is that what you were about to say…you…son of a bitch!"

Lucy got a look in her eyes like she was about to intervene again. One look from Kouta stopped her in her tracks. Yuka grabbed Kouta's shirt in her fists and Kouta saw Lucy flinch, fighting the urge to yank Yuka off of him. She went on, beginning to sob as she shouted at him.

"You just brush me off, and make me worry about you. It's like I don't matter at all to you whatsoever; like I'm invisible and not a part of your life. I see the bruises on your face Kouta, I know you're hurt, I know you were in danger…BOTH of you. Would it have just been ok with you if something happened and you never came back? I lost you once Kouta and even back then I thought I'd never have you back…h…how could I bear it if…I…"

She started crying in racking sobs and Kouta wrapped Yuka in his arms. Looking up at Lucy, he saw understanding in her eyes, as well as the guilt that he himself felt. He had chastised Lucy for this very thing…Yuka was right to be angry at him.

"I can't lose you again," she sobbed into his chest, "…you can't keep doing this to me Kouta, I don't deserve this. After everything I've done for you and all this time I've been standing by you and waiting for you."

He could feel Yuka's weariness as he held her. She was just as tired as he and Lucy were, but Yuka had forced herself to stay awake until she heard from them or saw them come home. He felt awful.

"Yuka, I'm…"

She pushed away from him and looked with watery eyes into his own.

"I don't want to hear it Kouta…you want to prove that you're sorry? Start talking to me and stop acting like I'm not a part of your life. If it's true that I'm not a part of it Kouta, just say it. Look at me and say it right now so I can leave and try to pick up the pieces somewhere else where I'm not reminded day in and day out of how little I mean to you."

Yuka stood up and turned to Lucy.

"I want to know where you went. I want to know because Kouta got hurt going after you and I deserve to know what kind of trouble you got him into."

"Yuka, he came of his own accord, I didn't…"

"Don't even try to tell me 'you didn't get him into trouble'. He's in love with you, and if you really thought that you could just run off into the night alone without him coming after you, then you're a fool. Whatever trouble you come with Lucy, it's his now too. And you know something else? It's also mine. You remember what I told you Lucy? I'm not giving up. I told Kouta that no matter what, I would always be with him so you might as well just accept that we're both going to be shouldering your baggage."

Yuka seemed to compose herself somewhat and wiped the last of the tears from her eyes. Straightening herself, she began to walk back inside the house.

"I'm going to make some coffee, because the three of us aren't done talking yet. I mean it Lucy, you BOTH are going to tell me everything about where you went last night. And we also need to talk about Nana and Mayu…they never made it home last night."

* * *

><p>Kouta filled his second cup of coffee and grasped the mug tightly, letting the heat from the cup shock his nerves to force him to start thinking.<p>

After they had gone inside and sat around the table, there had been a number of awkward silences as neither knew exactly how to proceed to talk to Yuka. She seemed to know it so she had been the one to start talking, mostly about Nana and Mayu's absence. They really ought to have been back home even before Kouta had left the house, but there had been too much on his mind and he was ashamed to admit to himself that he never wondered where either of the girls were. Yuka had spent some time walking around in the night looking for them, hoping she would run across them by some miracle. Practical as always however, Yuka wasn't relying on just a miracle as she was really taking a roundabout way to the police station to report them both missing. She had been staying awake awaiting a phone call from the police just the same as she had been waiting for Kouta and Lucy to return home. Yuka had considered for a moment reporting Kouta and Lucy missing as well but remembered that Lucy had been a wanted woman in the past, though Yuka admitted she still did not know why. Lucy had remained silent about it, allowing Yuka to assume that Lucy's time as her alter ego Nyuu, prevented her from being cognitive about such details.

After a while, and after Lucy gave Kouta a pointed look, Lucy had taken a breath, and began telling Yuka of where she had come from. Specifically, she mentioned her time as a prisoner of the Institute. She told Yuka of the long hours in darkness and solitude, and of the various tortures she underwent while she was there. As she spoke, Kouta could see the pain behind Lucy's eyes as she relived her ordeal once again. Lucy spoke with no measure of self pity, as Kouta knew she believed herself deserving of such tortures. Horror painted Yuka's face as she listened to every word, and she had gone pale as Lucy had relayed the various defenses and military presence upon the island. Kouta had received withering glares from Yuka during this part of the speech. Lucy thankfully omitted the part about Kouta disguising himself and nearly getting himself killed as he rescued Lucy. Even more fortunately, Yuka did not ask for any details. Perhaps she did not want to know.

It was then that they mentioned the prisoner in the facility. The woman who called herself Angel.

"So she was like you?" Yuka asked.

"Yes, she's one of us. A Diclonius. When I saw her, she was in restraints worse than mine were. I found her exactly the way I often was. Shut away in a dark room, locked up so that she couldn't even move. There was something about her though…like she wouldn't let the place get to her. She had a strength that I didn't have, but I could also feel how that place had warped her heart. I couldn't leave her there and…"

Lucy looked at Kouta apologetically before turning back to Yuka.

"She has nowhere to go. I didn't know what else to do…"

"I think I can finish this thought," Yuka said, "you invited her here, right?"

"I'm sorry Yuka. Like I said, I didn't know what else to do. I set her free, so I'm responsible for her."

Yuka sighed and looked away. Kouta was sure he knew what she was thinking. She had not liked it at all when the girls had started trickling into their lives because to Yuka, they were distractions competing with Yuka for Kouta's attention; an attention that Yuka had been waiting to have for a long time. She didn't seem annoyed this time, but rather merely sad, resigned. Yuka was starting to get used to the idea that there would be no future for a romantic relationship between them, and he knew she mourned it.

"Why didn't she come back with you?" Yuka asked Lucy.

"I…think she wanted revenge…against those who locked her away. She told me she would find me after."

"So she's violent? Dangerous?"

"Yuka…I'M violent…and dangerous."

"Ok, I see your point," she said with a frustrated sigh, "but we know you. We have no idea what this Angel person is like. Couldn't you have arranged to meet her somewhere else? Not at our home? Did you not think any of this through at all?"

Lucy looked away, chastised. He knew she hadn't thought it through, and honestly he hadn't either. How could they have been so foolish?

"It's like I said," Lucy said, turning back to Yuka, "I'm responsible for her. Everything will be fine Yuka, and if it's not…I'll make sure it is one way or the other. Fair?"

"I'm holding you to that Lucy."

"Good."

They both offered one another forced smiles and Kouta felt intensely uncomfortable. He began searching around for a plausible excuse to leave the room for some inane chore. He got his chance when he heard Wanta barking outside and stood up perhaps a little too quickly.

"I'll check on that," he said.

As he stood up, Lucy also began to stand up instinctively to follow but Yuka held her hand out.

"Lucy, just one more minute?"

Kouta and Lucy looked at one another until Lucy nodded her head and sat back down. Kouta left the room and made his way down the hall to the sound of Wanta barking incessantly, but as he got close to the courtyard door, the barks seemed to slow down as though he were getting used to the presence of whatever it was he was barking at. It occurred to him then that it could perhaps be the presence of Nana or Mayu that was making the dog bark so much. He hoped it was both of them; there had been a pit in his stomach from the moment Yuka said neither of them had made it home last night. Kouta felt terrible for all the things he didn't think about. Nana and Mayu, Yuka's feelings, and indeed her safety and the safety of everyone in the house in inviting an unknown woman to stay with them. Was he truly so inconsiderate? Was his focus so directed on Lucy that it left little room for anything else? There was nothing he could do about it now.

Sighing as he slid open the courtyard door, he resolved that from here on, he would start endeavoring to think more about the consequences of his actions. A lot of what he had done last night was done without thinking, and so many things could have gone wrong. Lucy had been right, he was lucky.

Still lost within his own thoughts, his gaze traveled to the sky through the trees. It appeared the clouds were starting to roll back in and there was less light than before. The weather was growing dismal again. It seemed just the other day he had looked on a scene like this and felt at peace. Perhaps it was the growing dread within him that desired more light than shadow, to chase away the wretched whispers in his mind that told him Nana and Mayu were in terrible danger. That they were all in danger…

"Excuse me," a quiet feminine voice said, "do you live here?"

Startled by the sound, Kouta looked down to see a woman kneeling down next to Wanta, petting him as the dog lay with half closed eyes, already bored of the new guest and going back to sleep. She stood up slowly, and with feline grace as she turned to look upon him. Her beauty was haunting and almost dreamlike, set against the backdrop of leafless trees and the gray winter sky. Her red-pink hair that blew gently in the cold breeze seemed to flow like falling rain and as the hair would part, he could see the horns…somewhat larger than Lucy's were. The woman wore a simple outfit; black boots and close fitting jeans that were partially ripped in places as though snagged by sharp objects. Kouta swore he saw a hint of dried blood on one of the tears but figured he was merely imagining things. She wore a black button up collared shirt that was long sleeved, but the sleeves were rolled up. All her articles of clothing seemed to display her figure even more effectively than if she had worn nothing at all. Even in such simple dress, her posture and especially her gaze made her seem otherworldly.

Her eyes were blood red in color and striking as they pierced through Kouta. He had never experienced such intensity from a simple gaze before in his life, and although her facial expression was warm and inquiring, her intensity made the breath catch in his lungs.

"W…who? Me?" he said stupidly. The woman laughed, and the sound was full of warm amusement, the look in her eyes telling him plainly that she knew her appearance was having that effect on him. She took a few gliding steps towards him and when she got near, she made a playful show of looking around and behind him.

"Hm…well, I don't see anyone else out here sweetheart."

He blushed and she laughed again, shaking her head.

"I live here yes," Kouta said. This woman…she had to be the one.

"You're the one Lucy found in the facility."

A slight look of shock, and then sadness in her eyes.

"Yes…I guess she's already mentioned me. I was worried about that. I didn't want to be THAT much of a surprise. I'm sure she's warned you about what I'm like then?" the woman said with a small grin.

"She did yes. She said you…had a bit of a caustic manner."

"She's right."

"I'm not getting that from you."

"Just glad to be free I guess. That place isn't good for the temperament at all, I'll tell you that. Just give me a chance to get used to it and I'll have you flinching and embarrassed to have me out in public in no time."

Kouta laughed and she laughed with him. He couldn't help it, she seemed so amicable. This was not what he had expected to show up to his door.

"Got a name sailor?"

"Oh," he said, feeling chastened, "how rude of me. I'm Kouta. I live here with Lucy, my cousin Yuka, and the rest of our adopted family, Nana and Mayu. Those two aren't here right now and they really ought to have come home last night. It's got me worried so I'm feeling a bit scattered right now."

He sighed, "and you…"

She nodded, "I'm Angel. It's good to meet a friend of Lucy's."

"It's nice to meet you Angel. I look forward to getting to know you."

"And you will…"

She looked towards the house and there was…something…that passed through her gaze. So many things in that simple stare; frustration, anticipation, confusion, a hint of anger…anger? It was the eyes of someone searching for something that couldn't be defined with mere words. He could see the storm behind the woman's dark eyes, but it was there and gone in the space of a second and Kouta knew she had not intended for him to see it.

"May I come in?" she asked, her gentle voice contradicting the fury he had seen in that stab of a second. She must have been fighting it tooth and nail, "I'd like to meet Yuka…and see Lucy again."

She looked at him then and he saw the ghost of pain in her eyes now, an agony that swept all the way through her, and through him. He felt like he ought to say something meaningful to Angel…but could think of nothing.

"Of course Angel, you're more than welcome here."

"Thank you…Kouta."

For a fraction of a second, he swore he heard mockery in her response. A slight edge to her voice, and her smile, but he knew it was just Lucy's warning and Yuka's concerns that were playing tricks on his mind. He motioned for her to walk with him and she stood still long enough for his forward movement to cause his hand to touch the small of her back. He yanked his hand back and blushed as she smiled at him.

"Sorry about that," he said.

"Don't be," she replied, giving him a slow once over with her eyes before falling into step beside Kouta, walking towards the house.

* * *

><p>"I owe you an apology Lucy."<p>

She had been shocked to hear the words as Kouta had left the room. Lucy stared dumbly at Yuka who's eyes were downcast.

"I should never have struck Kouta like that. I was just so worried and angry and…I have no excuse. I was wrong for doing that. I'm really sorry. You were right to be angry."

Lucy felt like telling her that it was ok and she didn't need to be sorry, but the instinct to make things right was not stronger than her desire to protect Kouta. Lucy had been furious and for a moment, considered tearing Yuka to pieces. It had taken every drop of her self control to use only her physical strength and not her vectors to get rough with Yuka. She knew if she had used the latter, Yuka would likely be in the hospital right now and they both knew it. At the same time, Lucy felt a greater degree of respect for Yuka for not backing down even knowing how dangerous Lucy could be. Lucy smiled.

"I thought you were going to hit me next Yuka. You're scary when you're pissed."

Yuka laughed and blushed, "yeah well…my temper is not exactly my most favorite thing about myself."

"I would have done the same thing Yuka. I don't blame you. If I had been you, I think I would have been sitting right there just like you; waiting for Kouta to come home, and fuming."

Yuka's smile wavered and her eyes became somewhat watery. She leaned over the table, clasping her hands in front of her and looking out of the window.

"No you wouldn't…you would have done what Kouta did. You would have gone after him…that's…"

She sniffled, and drew a deep breath before settling her watery gaze on Lucy.

"That's why you deserve him. I wouldn't have been able to do much more than Kouta, but he went after you. I didn't go after him."

"Yuka that's nonsense. You couldn't ALL come after me, what would that have accomplished? Besides, who would have stayed behind to make sure Nana and Mayu got home?"

"It's not just that Lucy…even if there had been someone here…I…still wouldn't have gone. All I've ever done was just wait and wait…for everything. You two are different…you don't wait for things to happen or for things to come to you. You go out and find them, you fight for them."

"Yuka…"

"Remember what I told you before? About wanting to find the answer as to why you deserve him more than I do…I have that answer now…"

Lucy felt no sense of joy in what Yuka said. In fact, she grieved for Yuka. Lucy reached across the table and took Yuka's hands in her own.

"I'm still in love with him Lucy. I think I'll always be in love with him…can you understand that?"

"Can I understand how love doesn't just go away because a person thinks it should? Yes Yuka…I understand that…more than you could ever know."

Yuka squeezed Lucy's hands and gave her a watery smile.

"It hurts that I have the answer I was looking for," Yuka said, "but I'm also glad. At least I know he's with someone who's worthy of him."

Yuka pulled her hands back and wiped at her eyes, taking another breath to steady herself.

"I have to admit however…that I think I was a little less than truthful about what else I told you then," Yuka said. Lucy knew exactly what she was going to say.

"I told you I would be able to let this go…let him go…but I can't. I'll always be in love with Kouta, I can't help the way I feel. I just want to be up front with you about that."

"Yuka, I understand. I wouldn't expect you to let him go. I don't think I would be able to do it if I were you either."

"Then we understand each other?"

She understood. She knew Yuka would never cross the line and try to take Kouta away from Lucy, but it would be no secret that Yuka would always want Kouta for herself, and if Lucy ever failed Kouta…Yuka would be there in a heartbeat, no questions asked. In a way, Lucy was glad for it. If she ever did fail Kouta, she would want someone to help heal his wounds if she no longer could do it herself. Lucy felt a kinship with Yuka she had not felt before as they accepted the reality of their situation, and their feelings for Kouta.

It was in that moment, that a familiar feeling slammed into her like a shockwave. It was her only warning as the door to the dining room opened and Kouta stepped through.

"Lucy…she's here. She would like to see you, and meet Yuka."

Lucy's heart thundered in her chest. Now that Angel was so close…she suddenly wasn't sure about her decision.

"Well let her in Kouta," Yuka said. Lucy wanted to shout at him to wait, but knew that would be silly.

Lucy saw a hand appear upon Kouta's shoulder as Angel stepped into the room, smiling at Kouta who stepped aside for her to enter. Her appearance and dress were simple but excruciatingly alluring as she walked casually into the room. Angel's hand slid absently off of Kouta's shoulder, and her fingertips brushed down his bicep almost accidentally as she let her hand fall to her side. Lucy shared a look with Yuka and knew they were thinking the same thing, which involved Angel's ankle, a rope, and a tree.

"Good morning Lucy…it's wonderful to see you again."

Angel walked around the table to sit next to Lucy and looked curiously at her face.

"You're much more beautiful in the light. Darkness didn't suit you."

"You'd be surprised."

"Would I?" she said almost breathlessly.

Angel looked over towards Yuka and seemed to study her intensely, much like she had studied Lucy that night; coming to a decision about her.

"I'm sorry to come to you like this, you all look as though you are dreadfully tired."

"It's quite alright," Yuka said, "you must be exhausted yourself."

"You have no idea. Every park bench I passed on the way here looked like it was lined in satin. I almost couldn't feel the cold."

Angel extended her hand to Yuka.

"My name is Angel. No doubt Lucy has spoken to you about me…and about what I am."

"She has," Yuka said, inclining her head in a bow slightly rather than shake Angel's hand. Angel seemed to understand and withdrew her hand, "we're no strangers to Diclonius in this house. Besides Lucy, there's one other that lives with us. Younger girl named Nana."

Angel's eyebrows flickered for a moment with interest.

"Nana is her name?"

"Yes," Yuka said, looking at Angel curiously. Lucy gave Angel a similar look as she thought she detected a hint of amusement at the name itself.

"The name sounds familiar. I believe a few of the scientists at the facility across the water mentioned it. I met Kouta here on the way in. He told me you were missing some of your family members."

Yuka looked at Lucy desperately, and then to Kouta.

"Oh my God…the two of them would have been together last night…"

"I don't mean to worry you," Angel said, "it could be something much more innocent than that, but if the Institute did have something to do with their disappearance, then at least we know Nana is still alive…Mayu…I could not say. The Institute takes a dim view towards 'witnesses'."

Before any of them could utter an outburst, Angel held up her hand.

"I could help you find her, as she is Diclonius. You no doubt are aware that we can sense one another. I would be able to find…Nana…this way. Perhaps finding her will also lead us to your other one…Mayu. Though if I am to do this, I need rest first. It was all I could do to zero in on you Lucy."

Lucy felt some relief at knowing that she would not be the only one who could help search for Nana. Angel had offered her help without a second thought. Perhaps Lucy had misjudged her.

"I think we all could use some rest," Yuka said, "we'll need it, and I already have the police looking for the two of them. Who knows? We could find out something before we ever start looking."

There it was again…a hint of amusement in Angel's eyes. Lucy was sure she was just seeing what she expected to see.

"Might I suggest," Angel said, "that you allow me to go looking and you stay here Lucy? If they are trying to get home it would perhaps be wise if Nana sensed a familiar presence at home as opposed to my alien one. Besides, I can see how stressed and worried you all are over this. You need support from one another. Let me return the favor for setting me free and giving me shelter."

"That's very kind of you Angel," Yuka said.

Lucy looked towards Kouta and saw his worried glance, knowing he was afraid for the fate of Nana and Mayu. He recovered quickly, offering her a reassuring smile, of which she returned. It was then that she noticed Angel staring at her, a slow, unreadable smile spreading upon her face. Angel reached her hand out and placed it over Lucy's.

"I'm sure they're both fine," Angel said.

Lucy stood up and motioned towards the door.

"Yuka, I'm going to take her to one of the guest rooms, is that alright."

"Sure Lucy, I'm going to wash up and get into bed myself."

Yuka gave Lucy a look which seemed to say 'watch her'. As much as Lucy wanted to offer automatic trust to Angel, she couldn't help but concur with Yuka's concern. She guided Angel out of the room and started walking down the hallway, Angel falling into step beside her, occasionally giving her sideways glances. It made Lucy slightly uneasy but she couldn't sense anything particularly nefarious about her manner. They walked in silence for a while longer until they reached the guest room in an area of the hallway between two lights. The door to the room was at the edge of both lights casting their section of the hallway in shadow. Looking upon Angel then, in the growing dark, she seemed much more natural…and was certainly more comfortable. Lucy decided to break the silence.

"You make me nervous Angel."

It was like the words flipped a switch and Angel shot a hand out past Lucy's head to press against the wall, and Angel quickly forced herself close against Lucy's body, her lips barely brushing against Lucy's ear.

"I've been waiting for this since I got free…"

"Angel…"

"sssshhh."

It was like it had been before, Angel's presence and touch were excruciatingly electrifying, stealing the breath from Lucy's lungs. Protest seemed impossible. Angel stepped forward, sliding one of Lucy's legs between her own and trailing her fingertips over Lucy's hips.

"You're even more beautiful in the dark Lucy."

"I thought you said it didn't suit me."

"Of course it suits you, I just think some things are meant only to be understood by people such as ourselves. There's nothing wrong with being a creature of the night, but it makes others uncomfortable. I did not want to trouble your family with it."

"My family knows who I am."

"Do they really? Do they know the whole truth?"

She couldn't answer…they did not know the _whole _truth, but she was not about to talk about that with Angel. She moaned in Lucy's ear as she held herself closer to her.

"Please tell me you have a few minutes Lucy…"

"Don't Angel. I can't do this."

"Why not?" she said breathlessly.

"Because I am in love with Kouta, and I will not betray him."

"Sex is sex Lucy, it's not betrayal."

Lucy pushed Angel away from her gently but firmly.

"How can you say that?"

"Because it's true."

"Don't you have any concept of love?"

"Is that what you need before we can do this?"

"We're NOT doing anything Angel."

Angel laughed and stepped away from Lucy, trailing her fingernails across Lucy's forearms as she did so, making Lucy shudder involuntarily from the pleasure of the touch.

"Forgive me Lucy, I was simply happy to see you again. You are after all, my savior. I did not know how else to thank you specifically. Make no mistake however, my desire for you is real. Desire IS what's real. I merely thought to give that to you…"

She stepped around Lucy to open the door, and leaned close to whisper in Lucy's ear.

"…something real."

Lucy turned around to look into Angel's eyes, and they were veiled in shadow. Lucy couldn't explain it…Angel wasn't exactly being nefarious as far as Lucy could tell, and her desire seemed real. In a way, Lucy felt pity towards Angel who likely spent her entire life, or at least most of it, locked away; her instincts and concept of love brutalized beyond recognition.

"I meant it when I offered to help," Angel said, "and I will. For you…I will."

Angel stepped back and offered Lucy a warm smile.

"Until tonight Lucy…"

She closed the door, leaving Lucy alone in the shadows. Questions in her mind…and in her heart.


	20. Impossible Odds

The sound of passing cars woke Mayu from sleep.

Slowly opening her eyes, her blurred vision began to take in her surroundings. The apartment was dimly lit by the pale light of the winter sky through the blinds of various windows which let light into the living room. It had the look and feel of vacancy that did not feel less vacant simply because it was now occupied by people. The loneliness of the place made her heart ache. How could a person have lived here so long?

The room was furnished quite well, as though by a person who had little else to do but think of where furniture could go in an apartment. There were various magazines strewn about a table which sat low to the ground in a living room next to a half full cup of water that had probably been sitting there for months. Blades of light pierced the room landing on the magazines, illuminating the faces of popular Japanese stars, musicians, and a few that had articles on cooking recipes which sat next to empty boxes of takeout. The television was on, but mute, as it displayed an attractive female news anchor staring pointedly at the screen as if to stare at the individual viewer and explain to them personally what the affairs of the world were that day. The scene cut to a hiking trail where police and onlookers were milling about; the caption below reading "Body Discovered On Gionyama Hiking Trial". Mayu looked away, she wasn't interested in more death.

The couch she slept upon had been much more comfortable than it looked and she had fallen asleep within minutes, taking in the mundane sounds of passing cars and the occasional beeping horn, soft thunder, and various wind chimes from places unknown. The sound she had focused on the most was the rhythmic breathing of the man who slept in a sitting position, propped up on the couch next to Mayu. She smiled sleepily when she saw the pistol he held loosely in his hand; always ready for trouble…however it was dangerously pointed at his leg now. She reached over and gently clicked on the safety.

"I'm up you know…"

Mayu looked up and saw Bando's eyes were open, staring at her through the hair that had grown over his eyes, and was now ragged and sleep tossed.

"Didn't you get any sleep?" she asked him.

"Here and there. I've had a lot on my mind."

Mayu reached her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. He leaned back into her.

"Such as?"

He hesitated as though he were going to hold back again as he often did in the past, but seemed to change his mind.

"Ryota mostly. The guy that's after us."

"Are you worried he'll find us?"

"That's not really what's been on my mind," he sighed and stared up at the ceiling where a fan rotated slowly, "I know Ryota. Known him since I was a boy."

Mayu kept silent, allowing Bando to find the words to continue.

"My father was a piece of shit. Beat my mother a lot and me too but that seemed to be less fun for him than torturing my mother. I never understood why she had stayed with him for so long but once I started working for the Institute I began to understand. Agents of the Institute…they're practically above the law. I don't think my mother thought she had anywhere to go. She could have saved herself sure, but she stayed for me. Can't tell you how guilty I've felt about that."

"I suppose it wouldn't do any good to tell you it wasn't your fault. It wasn't, by the way."

He smiled sadly, "nah…you could say it, but the fact was that if it weren't for me, she probably would have hauled ass long ago."

"Maybe she wouldn't have. You did just say 'agents of the Institute were above the law'. He would have just hunted her down. I know a little about how sick bastards like that think…"

Her bastard father had come looking for her after all…it hadn't been enough for him that Mayu was gone. She knew he wanted to be sure she wouldn't suddenly decide to start talking to the police, not that they would have believed her at this point. Too much time had passed and Mayu understood that it would have been next to impossible to develop a case anyone would listen to. Mayu had felt somewhat nostalgic for home a few years ago and had thought to visit some of the old places she had often liked to go, only to find him hanging around, waiting to see if she would do exactly what she was about to do. Thank God she saw him before he saw her. She never returned anywhere near those places.

If he knew what she was capable of now, she thought darkly, he wouldn't dare come looking anymore.

"Maybe," Bando said, "but that's not the way things worked out."

He reached in his pocket for a pack of cigarettes, but changed his mind after pulling them out, tossing them onto the table.

"Anyway," he continued, "it was during some S.A.T deployment that we met Ryota. Him and my father were working closely, tracking a rouge Diclonius. Ryota was a sniper then, newly drafted to the Institute, and was an excellent scout. The only one who had come close to how good Ryota was, had been my father, so they were paired up to try to keep collateral damage to a minimum. This was before the whitecoats figured out how dangerous Diclonii really were to humanity. I never knew what a Diclonius was, apparently only the two of them had been briefed, and my father wouldn't tell me what it was, only that we were lucky we had men like him protecting us, from them.

He was very soft spoken, and kind. I knew he never liked my father from the beginning but he was very civil and professional. Civil enough that my father actually took a liking to him, so after the job was finished, we saw a lot of Ryota. He had this way about him…I can't really explain it. I felt safe around the guy…like I could drop my guard. My mother felt the same way too, I could tell when she'd look at him."

Bando closed his eyes and Mayu held him tighter.

"I knew my mother had fallen in love with Ryota. I also knew he'd fallen for my mother. I was happy about it…I'd have been proud to call him father."

Mayu saw Bando's fists clench with growing anguish. She knew the terrible part was coming…there was always one…in stories like these.

"My father found out they'd slept together. He was furious. What he didn't know was that my mother had called Ryota earlier in the night when my father came home drunk and belligerent. I think she knew something was going to happen, and called him for help. Unfortunately, my father walked in on her when she had gotten to the "we can't stay here anymore" part of the conversation. He didn't know who she was talking to but it didn't matter at that point. He started beating her, worse than he'd ever done it before. Screamed at her, called her a whore…she never backed down. Wouldn't let that fuck defeat her."

Mayu could tell this was extremely difficult for him. She kissed his neck and held him. It was all she could do.

"He tried to make me beat her too. Told me to break her knees with a pipe wrench…"

"oh my God…"

"I wouldn't do it. I broke his knee instead. He had a gun…was going to kill me. Kill us both. The only reason I'm here today is because my mother stopped him and took the bullet that was meant for me."

Mayu fought back tears of grief for Bando. She did not want him to think his telling of the event would upset her beyond her ability to deal with. After all, she had her own demons, and had survived them.

"He shot her…and that was when Ryota showed up. He took vengeance upon my father and stayed with me while the authorities showed up. The Institute covered it all up of course, and Ryota was given no prison time. They'd done a blood alcohol content check on my father and it came up pretty high. It gave Ryota's story of 'defending the boy' more credibility. Especially when I went along with it. My father deserved to die, and Ryota deserved a fucking medal for it, not prison time. Even as a kid I understood that much."

"What did you do after that? What became of him?"

"He just let go…completely. Nothing mattered to him anymore and he turned into some kind of zombie. He drank all the time, which disgusted me because that's what my father used to do. He didn't talk much anymore, and he went to work numbly everyday. When he'd come back, I'd see a little less of the person he used to be come back with him. I didn't know then that the Institute had him exterminating children. Can only imagine what that took out of him."

"He killed children?"

"Diclonius children, but children nonetheless. A lot of them had gone berserk and just killed anything that was around them. They started instituting a policy of euthanizing them as they were born. The scientists usually took care of that part. They used us whenever a few slipped their grasp and they had to be hunted down. After a while, I started to understand exactly what it was that was stealing the light out of Ryota's eyes…because it started going out of mine…every time I pulled that trigger."

"_I've killed women and I've even killed children!"_

Bluster, anger…his defense mechanism against the horror of his own actions.

"After a while, I couldn't take it anymore. I ran away and just left him to his despair. Back then I reasoned that I had my own problems and I couldn't deal with his as well. Didn't see him again for many years. Next time we met, I wasn't the same either. He got me in with the S.A.T team he'd become the commander of, and I saw what he eventually deteriorated into. His spirit was completely dead; he was the shell of a man. Someone I just couldn't reach anymore."

He opened his eyes and stared at the tv screen which had cut to some faraway scene of bombs dropping on a city somewhere, then to a fire that was burning out of control in a large area of wilderness. It was as if misery covered the whole world.

"I think he had been hanging on for me, and when I left, he saw it as his sign to let go of the last of his humanity. He never came looking for me, or if he did, he never tried to bring me back home. A part of me thinks maybe he was glad I left."

Mayu heard rustling sounds down the hall and knew at least Arakawa was up. Nana still slept like a rock in a recliner at the other end of the living room.

"I don't think that's true Bando."

"It's been killing me Mayu. I keep asking myself, what if I had stayed? Could we have gotten through it together? Would he still be the way he is now? Could I have done something to get him out of there? Could I have given him a reason to leave it all behind and save what was left of his spirit? I didn't care about that then though…I admit that. I was caught up in my own problems and I had my own way of dealing with things. None of those ways involved facing up to my problems. I guess hunting Lucy was as close as I'd come to that…fucked that up royally though so I don't know what that says about me."

"It just means you lost a fight. It doesn't mean you're weak…you're not even close to being weak. You're the strongest person I've ever met."

"I think you're giving me too much credit."

"I don't think you're giving yourself enough."

He turned to look at her and she leaned forward, kissing him.

"Thanks Mayu…"

"So…what happens now? With you and Ryota?"

Bando's eyes closed again, and he reached for the table and the cigarette. He lit it and took a drag, taking care to blow the smoke away from Mayu's face.

"S.A.T's going to come down here looking for us. He's going to be commanding them. In any practical military strategy, you cut the head off of the snake and throw the rest in disarray. They don't have a replacement with the skill and experience that Ryota's got."

"What about Ghost? Wouldn't they promote him?"

Bando laughed.

"He's a fucking joke. Doesn't matter anyway, they won't get a chance to let him lead anything. Regardless of how any of this ends…I'm going to kill him. That much is absolutely certain to me."

He'd get no argument from her about that…but Ryota…did it have to end this way? Did the man who had meant so much to Bando really have to die?

"Is there anyway we can stop Ryota without killing him?"

"Mayu, you know we're not going to have a choice on that."

"How do you know that? There's a lot you didn't allow yourself to think about and consider until you and I met. How do you know that perhaps you overlooked something about Ryota? What if he's not beyond your reach? What if you just didn't know how to reach him?"

Bando sighed.

"Mayu, I'd like more than anything to believe what you're telling me…"

She thought of Lucy and how much hate and anger she had burning inside of her. She remembered Lucy's horrifying violence and how much she had changed from that hateful person who had once poisoned her heart.

"Bando, I would think you of all people would understand by now just how much a person can change…and even how they can rediscover things about themselves that they thought were lost forever."

Bando didn't answer her. Instead he stared straight ahead without focusing on anything as his cigarette burned down in his hand. She gently removed it from his hand and put it out on one of magazines, staining a perfect celebrity smile black.

"Mayu…I…"

"Just try Bando. You didn't give up on me, and this man was more important to you than I'll ever be."

"THAT…is bullshit Mayu. Nothing is more important to me than you."

Mayu laughed a little and smiled warmly at Bando.

"Feels good to hear you say that."

"Feels good to say it."

Mayu heard more rustling sounds from the hallway and saw Arakawa walking out in some old clothes of hers; a pair of sweatpants and a too big t-shirt. Her hair was bed tossed and she walked somewhat clumsily. She acknowledged the fact that they were awake with a hand wave and proceeded to the kitchen.

"You got any food in there?" Bando barked, "I'm starving."

"Well, let's see," came Arakawa's voice from the kitchen, "we've got expired milk, expired cheese, expired orange juice, expired take out…do you like expired ham?"

"Shit."

"I think there are some crackers in the drawer. Water's still on so you can get some from the faucet."

"Man we need to go food shopping or something."

"I can do that later," Arakawa said, coming out of the kitchen and leaning against a wall, "they're not looking for me so at least for now, I can move around a bit more freely than the rest of you will be able to. I found some cash I had stashed away which was supposed to be for rent. Frankly, I'm surprised my apartment hasn't been cleared out by now…and for that matter…I'm surprised the water's still on."

"Pretty fucking convenient if you ask me," Bando said with an edge of suspicion in his voice, "someone's been paying your bill. Probably someone at the Institute. Maybe this place isn't as safe as you thought."

Arakawa's eyes seemed to go out of focus as she silently mouthed a word. She snapped to attention rather suddenly.

"Oh…uh…you know, I just remembered. I had paid up for a few months since I was starting to get very busy with the vaccine research and was afraid I wouldn't have time to get ahead of an eviction notice when I came up for air from work. I must still have some time left on that."

Even to Mayu, her excuse sounded improvised, false. Sharing a look with Bando, she knew he was thinking the same thing, but he let it drop. They were all in this together after all. Maybe she had her reasons for being secretive.

Hearing a yawn from the other side of the room, Mayu turned towards Nana to see her waking up.

"Good morning everyone," she said.

"It's three in the afternoon," Bando said.

"Oh…"

Nana rose from her chair and stretched her arms in a yawn. Since only her upper arms moved, the synthetic forearms hung down at an odd angle. Arakawa was visibly uncomfortable with the sight.

Nana took control of her arms with her vectors and ran them through her hair in a vain attempt to straighten it's tossed appearance out, and merely wound up tossing it more. Nana's lengthening hair seemed to never want to be in any other state than a wild one. Mayu felt slightly jealous of how gorgeous Nana was becoming, especially when she wasn't even trying. Mayu wanted out of her stupid school uniform already.

"So we're all up," Bando said, "good, because I think we need to talk about our next move."

"Absolutely," Arakawa said, "but not on a stomach full of crackers and water. I'm going out to get some proper food. We'll talk when I get back."

"Let me go with you," Mayu said.

"Mayu, that's out of the question," said Bando, standing up, "it's too dangerous."

"I don't think so. I can take care of myself Bando and I think it would be a good idea if there was at least one person looking out for the other. Besides, when they picked me up last night they weren't looking for me. They were looking for Nana."

"Not to be devil's advocate here," Arakawa said, "but she may be right, at least for now. Even if they are going to add Mayu to their list of targets, it would take time for them to get physical descriptions out to the local authorities. It's possible that Mayu could be able to walk around freely for at least today."

"And it's also possible that everything you just said is a crock of shit and she could get picked up by the first patrol car that happens by."

"Bando please," Mayu said, "I want to see Kouta and…Yuka. This may be my only chance. I need to tell them that I'm ok. We're in walking distance to Maple Inn, it wouldn't take long."

She had almost mentioned Lucy's name, but didn't want to give Bando an excuse to go with her to fight Lucy. That was not what they needed right now. Bando looked frustrated as he looked around the room, searching for an ally, and his eyes rested on Nana.

"Would you please talk some sense into Mayu?"

"Sure thing," Nana said with a grin as she looked at Mayu, "keep your head down."

"Really? You're fucking kidding me!"

"I have to do this Bando…and if there IS trouble," Mayu removed the 9mm she had kept from the previous night, "you know I can handle it."

Bando ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"So I'm just supposed to sit here and hope everything goes just wonderfully?"

"Yes, that's pretty much what I expect," Mayu said with a wink.

Bando laughed despite himself and Arakawa turned her head away to hide her smile.

"I'll get dressed," Arakawa said, "then we'll head out."

"Mayu," Bando said, taking her face gently in one hand, "if you do see them, you can't tell them where we are or what we're doing. If anything, you tell them to get the hell out of Kamakura while they still have the chance."

"Of course Bando."

"And another thing…about that gun. Don't go flashing it around calling attention to yourself. That is a last resort if you get into trouble, not a "go to" deterrent if a situation's not going your way."

"Bando," she said quietly, "I know." As they looked at each other, she knew the seriousness of her tone was reminding him of the man she had shot.

Arakawa stepped out of the hallway at that moment, dressed in a pair of tan cargo pants, a white shirt, and a black corduroy jacket. Bando looked at her strangely.

"That's what you're wearing? Whatever happened to that thing you were in last night?"

"It was the only one of it's kind. I don't exactly dress to 'go out'. Besides, this is low key and that's what we want right now. I guess we don't have to worry about that with you…"

"What's wrong with my clothes…"

"…but Mayu probably doesn't need to be wandering around in a school outfit so people can ask her why she's not IN school."

"Here," Nana said, removing the dress she was wearing over her own school uniform, and handing it to Mayu, "take my dress."

"Oh Nana, I couldn't…your father gave that to you."

"And now he'll help protect you too," she said with a smile.

Mayu reached an arm around Bando's neck and kissed him quickly before following Arakawa to the door.

"Wait! Mayu!" Nana cried. Mayu turned around.

"Tell her…" she said, "tell her I'm sorry for how I treated her…and that I don't hate her."

Mayu understood. She was talking about Lucy, but didn't want to say the name aloud for Bando to hear.

"I will," Mayu replied. Her and Arakawa exited the apartment and started heading into the city.

* * *

><p>After Arakawa had gone into the store, Mayu had left to make her way for Maple Inn, each step she took making her anxiety and anticipation grow. She already felt as though she saw the world with different eyes. Would Kouta, Yuka, and Lucy be able to see it when they looked at her? Wrapping her arms around herself in the cold, she continued walking, keeping to one side of the sidewalk and keeping her head lowered in an attempt to draw the least amount of attention to herself. As she'd walked with Arakawa, she had decided to ask her about the excuse she had given for her apartment's condition.<p>

"_Did you really pay advance rent?"_

"_Yeah, I did."_

"_Arakawa…"_

"_You can call me Akane."_

"_Ok Akane. Just tell me this…can we really trust you?"_

She had stopped walking, forcing Arakawa to turn towards her and look her in the eyes. Mayu would be able to see the truth in her eyes. She was getting good at doing that, especially after navigating the tangled mess of Bando's guarded emotions.

Arakawa looked Mayu squarely in the eyes and she could see a fierce light within their depths.

"_You can trust me. Especially against the Institute. Those…bastards…destroyed my life. What family I do have probably thinks I'm dead and after what they put me through…I'm in this until it's over."_

Arakawa meant every word. Mayu could see that plainly. It satisfied her doubts.

"_I believe you Akane."_

Mayu still held her gaze with a steady, knowing look.

"_So I won't ask you the real reason why you've still got that apartment."_

Arakawa hesitated a moment too long to deny that there was another reason, and realized the futility of making a half hearted attempt at lying now.

"_Thank you…"_ was all she said in reply.

The purpose of asking her had been twofold: she did want her suspicions confirmed but she also knew it would make Arakawa uncomfortable and less likely to put up a fight about Mayu splitting off once Arakawa reached the store. She didn't have a lot of time, and didn't want to waste it with an 'are you sure you want to do this' chat. As she got closer to Maple Inn she felt confidence that perhaps she and Arakawa had been right about the police not looking for her yet. She hadn't been completely sure of the things she was saying but felt better now that she was so close. Though to be fair, she hadn't seen a lot of police on the street. Before long, she saw the roof of Maple Inn after passing by another city block, and her steps quickened with excitement.

Turning into the walkway and off the street, her steps quickened to a jog; almost home. As she rounded the corner however, she was greeted with a sight that made her duck low to the ground and hide behind a nearby bush.

There was a policeman. Right there at Maple Inn's front door. It couldn't be; was the Institute looking for them already? Despair flooded her heart; there was no way she could go back home for any reason now if the Institute were looking for her there.

"Is someone there?"

The policeman…he had seen her duck behind the bush. No no no.

"Whoever's over there come out right now!"

If he looked behind the bush…_when _he looked behind the bush, the game would be over. She would not be able to fight him off and she was not about to pull her gun on a policeman. Her mind raced; she wanted there to be some way she could still tell Kouta and the others that she and Nana were ok, but she was running out of time. The policeman was getting closer and if she didn't make a move now, she wouldn't be able to stay ahead of him long enough to escape…and that really was the only option open to her now…escape.

Mayu saw him unclasp the holster guard of his gun. Time was up. Ordering her legs to start moving, she burst from the bush she had been hiding behind and began running as fast as she could. She saw him go for his gun in panicked surprise and he also stood still for a moment. She had been counting on his surprise induced hesitation to gain ground on him immediately.

"Hey! Stop! Wait!"

The tone of his voice threw her slightly as it was not harsh or demanding the way she would have expected a hunter to sound. It was imploring and desperate. She almost slowed down but then heard the policeman's running footsteps behind her and the sound propelled her faster as she rounded the corner and bolted across the street. She was almost hit by an oncoming car which swerved out of the way as she screamed in terror. Looking behind her she saw the policeman's progress was impeded by oncoming cars from the lane of traffic she had already passed. Recovering quickly, she kept running, leaping onto the sidewalk to avoid another swerving car which began to fishtail and spun completely around, coming to a stop. The policeman was on his radio and seemed to be indecisive as to whether to continue chasing her, or checking on the people in the car. Mayu didn't wait for him to come to a decision as she darted down an alleyway and did not look back again. She had to get across the river and meet with Arakawa.

Tears streamed down her face as she ran, thinking about how close she had been to home…and how far from it she truly was now.

* * *

><p>Bando took a sip of water from his glass as he looked out of the window for the seventh time. He was sure it was all taking too long and every minute that passed made his anxiety grow.<p>

The volume on the tv was back on, but very low, as Nana watched various programs as though it were the first time she ever saw them. Though when he thought about it, it probably was, or perhaps she was still new to the idea of watching television. As the minutes dragged, he would notice her gaze seeming further and further away when he'd check on her. They had not spoken a word to one another since Mayu and Arakawa had left the apartment.

"Bando," looks like that was about to change.

"What's up?" he said absently, looking out of the window for the eighth time.

"I heard you…I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I was listening when you were talking to Mayu."

Great.

"Yeah…what about it?" He felt slightly embarrassed and that made him revert to a default attitude of irritation. It came out in his voice as he spoke to her.

"What you were saying about the Diclonius children. I can't stop thinking about it."

Oh…of course that's what she would have been focusing on. He had said some awfully cruel things to her in the past, particularly when he told her without preamble about the Institute's policy of exterminating those like her. He had been trying to provoke her into a violent response with no thought whatsoever that she may not actually be a violent person. At the time he hadn't been interested in the different personality types of Diclonius children. Things had changed so much since then.

Bando stepped away from the window and sat upon the arm of the couch. Nana shifted slightly away from him enough to turn towards him. Her arms looked odd in her lap, as though they were placed in a pantomime of relaxation that actually appeared simply like they were objects placed in her lap to rest. He flexed his synthetic hand.

"So that's why you would kill us?" she asked, staring sadly at him, "because others like me…kill?"

"It's not just that y…they killed. It would happen when they grew to be a certain age. They just couldn't control themselves. They knew enough about death to understand what it was, but not enough about it to understand why you can't just kill people. Childlike minds in possession of power too great for them to handle or understand. It was never really their fault."

"Papa helped me understand. Why couldn't someone help them?"

"Well 'Papa' had the resources of the Institute behind him to control your power while he 'helped you understand'. Most people that had Diclonius children just weren't that lucky."

He felt silly using the word "lucky". He knew what the Diclonius test subjects went through and no part of him considered any of that to be fortunate luck. Fate, seemed to be a more appropriate word. He sighed.

"Humans kill," she said, "and they make such terrible weapons to do it. Seems to me like they're in possession of power too great for them to handle or understand, if killing is all they do with it."

Bando smirked at the clever response.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Maybe no one deserves to live…"

"That's bullshit Nana."

She sighed, "you're right. It just makes me so angry…I know people can help those children like Papa helped me, but it's like no one does because it's so much easier to kill us. That wasn't something Diclonius decided…humans decided that."

She looked at him then with anger in her eyes.

"It's so hard for me not to hate you."

"You have every reason to."

"Please don't…don't make it easy for me to do it. Papa didn't want me to be that way…he didn't want me to live with hate in my heart but it's…so…hard."

She said those last words in a strangled voice, as though she were brutally fighting back sobs. In that moment, he truly felt for her plight…her place in the world, for which there did not seem to be one. They were more alike than she knew, for there was no place in the world for Bando either really. His only place now was with Mayu, fighting the Institute. He knew that Mayu had been the one to give Nana her own place in the world just as she'd given it to him. That girl was special in a way she would never understand no matter how many times he or Nana might tell her. Anyone can save another person from harm…but to save one's soul? That came down to who you were…and you were either the type of person that could…or you weren't.

"Nana," he said, "from where we're standing the world's a terrible place because we don't fit into it so well. It's kind of fucked up really…lots of people out there that are just like you or me, but because we are who and what we are, we don't get to be with them and they won't stomach us being around them. Been around long enough to understand that that's just the price of being different. It doesn't make other people evil and us saints because we're definitely not saints. There's a lot of people out there that want the same things we want out of life."

"How are we the same Bando? I'm not even human…"

"We stand outside society. You're a Diclonius, so you might never be accepted by humanity. I'm a killer, and you can't just shut that shit off. I'll never be like them and I won't be able to live like them. Being different doesn't necessarily make you right though…it doesn't mean everyone else deserves to die and this world is only for people like us. That kind of thinking makes us no better than the part of humanity that makes you want to hate everyone."

She hung her head, "it's not fair…any of it. Papa died because there's no place for us. What if there had been? Maybe Mariko could have been different…maybe we all could have been a family."

"Ever consider that maybe you would have had no part in that family?"

He remembered Mariko's name. Kurama had mentioned it cryptically as they had both gone after their respective Diclonius objectives. Nana for Kurama…and Lucy for him. Mariko had been that man's biological daughter…for his sins.

Nana fell silent. It was clear she had not considered that at all…but rather was considering something else.

"I would have known…who my mother was…"

She looked up at him.

"I never thought about it once in my life, not seriously anyway. It was always just me and Papa, but I never once thought about the woman out there who would have given birth to me."

She leaned back against the couch, turning away from him.

"I'm a mystery even to myself. That place has the answers…I know it…and we can't ever go back. Why didn't I ask the questions before?"

"Maybe they didn't matter to you then. Innocence has that drawback…you don't care about 'why'."

"I care now…but now it's too late."

"_What if he's not beyond your reach? What if you just didn't know how to reach him?"_

Bando's eyes closed as pain rushed through him again…but with a sliver of hope.

"Never too late," he whispered.

"Do you believe that?"

_I have to._

"I do Nana."

She gave him a weak smile and went to stand up, losing her balance as she tried. Bando stepped away from the couch and caught her before she fell, helping her to her feet. Her gaze locked onto his own and froze him still. He looked deeply into the crimson eyes. They were eyes that held no evidence of normalcy and they were not the eyes of a human being…but there it was anyway…right there in the depths of her eyes.

Humanity.

"Thank you Bando," she said, and he knew she wasn't talking about helping her stand up when she was about to fall…or maybe that was exactly what she was thanking him for. He smiled back at her and never felt more like a normal human being in his entire life. He knew normalcy wasn't exactly important but it was nice to feel that way once in a while.

In that moment, the door flew open with such force that Bando actually drew his gun and pointed it at the door.

"It's us! Don't shoot!"

It was Arakawa and Mayu, both burdened with bags of food. Bando's stomach grumbled at the sight as he lowered his gun.

"Christ, knock or something first. Scared the shit out of me. What took you two so long?"

"They're already looking," Arakawa said quickly, stalking across the living room to the kitchen as Mayu closed the door.

"What do you mean they're already looking?"

Mayu handed Arakawa the rest of the bags when she walked back towards them. Arakawa started putting food away when she returned.

"I went to the inn," Mayu said shakily, "there was a policeman at the door."

"Shit…"

Word had spread already? How was that possible?

"Are you alright Mayu?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shaken up…he chased me for a little while before I could get away."

Arakawa came back into the room with an apple, throwing one towards Bando, and handing others to Nana and Mayu.

"If they're organized enough to be looking for Mayu already, that means we don't have the time we thought we had. I hope you're all rested, because we need to get moving tonight."

"Get moving?" Bando said, taking a few steps forward and taking a bite of his apple, "to where exactly?"

"I've been thinking about what we can do to stop Red Sky and I think I may have an idea."

"Alright, we're all ears."

"When I was still working under Professor Kakuzawa, the director's son, we were specifically researching a vaccine for the vector pathogen. Work went slowly because my so called colleague, as it turned out, was not interested in a vaccine any more than his bastard father was. I started to realize that at some point and kept a great deal of my work secret from Kakuzawa. Everything I worked on should still be at his old lab at Kamakura High."

"They were operating out of a fucking high school?" Bando said incredulously.

"Just Professor Kakuzawa and I. They have all the facilities and materials there for me to continue my work. A vaccine isn't going to be practical now but some of what I was working on could parallel with something that I think will be a bit more useful."

"And what's that?"

"First, I should say that this is all preparation, a backup plan. We absolutely must do whatever we can to destroy Phase 1 before they ever get it into the air, but if we can't, I may be able to work on a counter agent to sabotage Phase 2. The first phase was already sabotaged by Kakuzawa and there's nothing we can do about that now but Phase 2 might still be in a position where we can introduce a new agent within it. What I'm going to try and work on is something that instead of activating the viral weapon, will actually kill it in the sky when they launch Phase 2."

"That depends on a whole lot of things. The biggest one being that they don't know we're doing it."

"Either that, or we launch Phase 2 ourselves."

"I sure as hell hope that's plan C because that's going to involve one fucking hell of a fight. It might not though if we start looking for Phase 2 now instead of working on preventing them from launching Phase 1. That may turn out to be easier because if they're preparing to launch Phase 1, there's going to be defenses all over it. We may not even get close enough to see it."

"The only problem we're going to have with sabotaging Phase 2 is that we'll need clearance from whoever's in charge of Red Sky's deployment."

"_This is Commander Ryota, all preparations are complete and I will officially be assuming command of Operation: Red Sky, should it require implementation."_

"Ryota…" Bando whispered.

"What?" Arakawa said, appearing as though she were holding her breath.

"I caught a transmission from the Institute yesterday on my radio_. _It was Ryota telling someone that he was going to be in direct control of Red Sky. He's the one we're going to have to 'convince' of our plan."

They were fucked. If Ryota was dead set on his mission the way Bando knew he was going to be…they were all fucked. Ryota would die first before helping them. Then again…Ryota didn't know about Kakuzawa's sabotage. If they waited until the launch of Phase 1 to tell Ryota about it…perhaps he could be convinced to help them stop the weapon entirely.

Arakawa looked curiously uncomfortable.

"I…met him…during my escape," she said, "he didn't seem to be the type of person who would fold to threats. I highly doubt any such methods would be effective upon him."

"Then as I see it we have two options," Bando said, "we appeal to him…as fugitives he would have no reason to trust, and hope he'll believe what we have to say. Or we kill him. They'll be forced to turn over executive authorization to the next in command, and that will be Ghost. He doesn't have Ryota's will and I promise you, he'll squeal like a fucking pig when I'm finished with him."

"What if you're wrong?" Arakawa said, "what if they give it to the directors? They'll be impossible to reach."

"Impossible for us maybe," he turned to Nana, "but not for her."

He looked at Nana pointedly, "I'm sure they'd have all kinds of stories for our Diclonius friend here. I'm sure they'd even be willing to spill a life story or two."

Nana stared at him, understanding. If it came to that, the codes to Phase 2's delivery system wouldn't be the only answers she would extract from the directors. Her gaze was steady, and he could see it harden with renewed determination.

"And let's say they do give it to Ghost," Arakawa continued, "what if you've underestimated him and he gives you nothing?"

"Then we destroy Phase 2, and hope to God they don't have more than one missile."

"Ryota doesn't know about the sabotage, we could tell him. I'm sure he'd listen."

What?

"How exactly would YOU be so sure? You don't know him. I do. He's got a one track mind when it comes to military operations at the Institute. Yes, there's a chance he'll listen, but it's a slim one and we shouldn't bet our hopes on it."

She seemed frustrated for some reason, and ran her hand through her hair roughly.

"We can do this Akane," he said, trying to reassure her. Perhaps that was where her frustration was coming from. It was going to be a daunting task staying ahead of the Institute and taking on its might with only the four of them. He understood how it felt facing impossible odds.

"Ok," she said with a huff, "first things first, we need to get into Kamakura High tonight. There are some things there I'm going to need to bring back here so I can start working again."

"Won't the Institute have cleared the place out?"

"They won't have taken everything. Certainly not anything pertaining to my work. They don't know where any of it is. I do. We'll wait for dark when the place is cleared out, then we'll find a way inside and get what we need."

"We should expect the Institute's presence in Kamakura now. Stay away from cops, we don't separate for any reason, and we keep away from public places as often as we can."

"Bando," Mayu said, "there has to be a way to send a warning to Kouta and Yuka. Isn't there anything we can do?"

"Yeah," he said grimly, "we can stop Red Sky."

"You know that isn't going to end the quarantine they're going to set up around here," Arakawa said quietly, "what are we going to do about that?"

Bando sighed, "I really don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead. We'll deal with that after we deal with Red Sky."

Impossible odds. That's certainly what they were facing now.

Arakawa made some mention about cooking a quick meal before they left after the long, uncomfortable silence that followed, and retreated into the kitchen. Mayu offered to help, saying that she knew a little herself about how to cook. Bando walked to the window and looked out at a city that, to him, now seemed like enemy territory, and they were behind enemy lines. What he had not bothered to mention were his own fears about how impossible their task really was and how little hope they all really had, but there was no choice. The only thing they could do was fight. Even as impossible as it all seemed, Bando knew he would fight until his last breath because at last he had something meaningful to fight for; a purpose for his strength that he found as he'd rescued Mayu from the jaws of the Institute. He felt however, that his own strength paled in comparison to hers which had breathed life into a dying soul.

Maybe she was right…maybe the life in him now was something he could offer Ryota.

Maybe…just maybe…

…he could bring Ryota back.


	21. Shattered

"_Wake up you miserable piece of shit."_

Slowly his eyes opened, and he couldn't comprehend anything that he saw once they did. Every single object in the sterile room he found himself in looked like something alien and wholly unfamiliar. Ghost imagined this was what being born must be like, if a person had a thinking mind to recall the experience.

His entire body hurt, and it also felt alien and unfamiliar. He wasn't even sure who he was and he felt strangely peaceful with that knowledge. Something told him he didn't want to remember, so he tried hard to leave his mind peacefully blank. Hopefully there would be no memory to disturb him. The lights in the room were low so it was somewhat easy for him to adjust his eyes to the light. He tried to move his body enough to sit up but the unfamiliarity of his own body caused him to lie back down again. Maybe he should just stay still for now and think.

"_There you go…looks like the princess is finally coming around. That's good, I was getting sick of waiting."_

He looked frantically around the room, searching for the strangely familiar voice that seemed to speak from out of nowhere.

"Who's there?" he said aloud…and realized his voice sounded exactly the same as the other…

"_Just us…"_

His own voice. He was hearing his own voice. Something wrong there…

"Who are you?"

"_How did you ever live this long being so fucking stupid?"_

Rage surged through him, a familiar emotion. It brought a name to his mind…Katsuo. That was his name once…so that meant…

"You're…me."

"_Bingo."_

A surge of panic went through him next as he convulsed and fell off of what he now understood to be an operating table. He was in a clinic somewhere. Landing hard on his stomach he braced for pain, and felt confused when he did not feel the pain he expected to feel. There was some pain of course but it felt…cushioned somehow. Distant. He heard laughter in his mind and he reached his hands up to clutch his forehead. He screamed in pain as his own strength made him feel like his head had been caught in a vice…but it was his own hands.

"_You need to slow down boy. You might wind up accidentally kicking your own ass better than that freaky bitch did."_

"This isn't real. I'm not hearing voices…you're not real…this is just some fucked up side effect from…whatever drugs they must have given me."

"_I'm as real as it gets kid. Now get a hold of yourself and stop embarrassing us."_

He had an urge to clutch at his head again or cover his ears so that he could not hear the voice, but he knew it would be useless. Horror began to sweep through him at realizing that there would be nowhere he could run from the phantom voice…his voice. As he thought about the fact that it was indeed his voice, he began to think of how much it reminded him of who he really was. He was not this simpering weakling that was cowering on the floor. He was Ghost, and Ghost would never cower.

"_That's right…now you're starting to man up. Good. On your feet soldier."_

Soldier. That's what he was…a soldier…a warrior. That monster…she had destroyed his entire squad and left him broken…shattered…afraid. He couldn't…just…couldn't face her…

…no…Ghost wouldn't be afraid of her…he wouldn't be afraid to stand up and fight. He would laugh in her face and tell her to bring it on. Then he would win. He would show her his superior skills and throw her to the ground in broken pieces. That was what Ghost did…he was a conqueror.

"My name…our name…"

He slowly calmed down enough to stop shaking and began to slowly rise to his feet. Each movement was deliberate and careful, testing out his new alien body which felt pleasantly rigid and strong. It was like he was made out of iron, and could feel it in his bones. He had an urge to crush something in his hands. Something unyielding…just because somehow he knew that he could.

"Our name…is Ghost."

"_That's right kid."_

The familiar voice was becoming more and more comforting as it kept speaking to him. The confidence and self assurance in the voice made him feel better…stronger. Gradually, he began to feel calm returning to him, but threatened to lose it again as he remembered the violence of the previous night. He recalled the terror as he had run through the dark hallways, the monster laughing and stalking him in the blackness. He recalled the dread when he saw her stand against his entire squad, knowing that she would be the stronger. He remembered trying to fight back and being cast aside as easily as one swatted a fly; broken by the blood and the screams of the dying.

"_That bitch made a mistake"_

"No she didn't…she broke us."

"_She broke you. She didn't break me. No one fucks with me, and from now on, no one fucks with US. Her mistake was not killing us when she had the chance."_

"I don't understand…"

He really didn't. If she beat him once, she could do it again.

"_Get it through your head motherfucker. Things have changed…can't you feel it? Coursing through you? The power? You're stronger now, and you damn well know it."_

They had done something to him while he was unconscious, that much he was beginning to understand. The Voice was right, he did feel more powerful. Even now, while he still felt afraid of the Beast, he had an unshakable urge to fight. He wanted to test his new strength. Looking around him, he recognized the cybernetics laboratory. Instantly, he realized what they must have done. It made practical sense really if they were planning an immediate response to the escaped Diclonius. They couldn't simply wait for his broken bones to heal, so they replaced them with surgical steel. Considering the way he was feeling at the moment, he was sure that mending his broken bones wasn't all they had done.

They had operated on Bando the same way, but Ghost knew that his own enhancements were superior to the ones Bando would have received. Bando…he was still out there…that motherfucker.

"_We're gonna take em all down, all our enemies. You and me. Gonna fucking kill em all."_

Yes…he could do it…they…could do it. Angel had only won a battle, but the war was just beginning. Bando was no longer on his level. When the time came to exterminate him, it would happen with ease. He was now only a bump in the road to vengeance against the Beast who had brought him low.

"You and me," he whispered, clenching his fists.

"_On the table. Look."_

There was a small tray table a few feet away from Ghost which looked arranged there on purpose, as if to intentionally appear symbolic. Upon it rested a gleaming .50 caliber pistol which had the look of a prototype he'd seen before in the engineering labs. It could carry tungsten rounds like his old pistol did but the bullets carried different properties. The design of the bullets, and the frame allowed for shots to be fired with greater force than a normal .50 pistol. With his new strength, he would be able to handle what would surely be a ghastly recoil. The force of the bullet would tear away everything that it passed through. He seemed to recall seeing a bullet fired from such a gun that blasted through concrete and ripped a large hole as if the concrete had been scooped cleanly away. With reverence he approached the weapon, laid out just for him, and trailed his fingers across the barrel.

"_That's how we're going to take her down. She won't know what fuckin hit her."_

"How did you know it was there? I mean…you're…me."

"_Pick it up."_

He obeyed, lifting the heavy pistol from the tray and holding it up to examine it. His grip upon the pistol tightened and he felt complete, whole. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking up to see his reflection in a tall mirror at the other end of the room. His gaze was cold and resolute and he stood up straight. He thought he saw a smile in his reflection but did not remember consciously smiling. Little by little, holding the weapon in his hands, he began to come back to himself. He smiled at his reflection.

"You're out there somewhere bitch…and when I find you…it'll be my turn to make you scream."

The door opened in that moment, admitting three men. In surprise, Ghost aimed his new weapon at the three intruders and felt his lips curve in a toothy grin. The three newcomers were all people he was dying to speak with. The first was a doctor who would be telling him exactly what they had done to him. The second was none other than the failed puppet master Erich Vanith himself. He wore a harried look about him and his appearance was somewhat disheveled, although it was obvious he had taken some pains to appear immaculate. The third…

"Ghost…are you alright?"

Ryota.

"_KILL HIM!" _the voice suddenly screamed. Ghost felt his finger touch the trigger before he lowered his weapon quickly, as though afraid he would have shot him accidentally.

"Sorry about that sir," he said, forcing his voice to take on its hardened professional tone, "you startled me."

They were all looking at him strangely, but not fearfully. It was starting to get on his nerves. Since it seemed like all they wanted to do was stare blankly, he would start the talking.

"You people operated on me. What did you do?"

"Your ribs were broken," the doctor began, taking a step towards him and making a cursory examination of his shirtless body, "and Director Westmore told us we didn't have time to wait for you to make a natural recovery. He ordered you brought to cybernetics and for us to do what we could."

The doctor then walked behind Ghost.

"Hm…looks like…"

His words were cut short as Ghost whirled around and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off of the ground. Ghost could feel the convulsions in his throat as the doctor tried to swallow and grinned with pleasure at the extent of his new strength. So this is what he could do with it…

"Ghost, enough," Ryota said calmly. There was a flicker of irritation in the back of Ghost's mind, and after it passed, he dropped the doctor who then fell heavily to the floor, coughing frantically.

"I don't like it when people try to get behind me. Especially you, especially now. I woke up to find out that you fucking cut me open and assembled my insides like some test subject in a lab. You're lucky I don't blow your fucking brains out."

"I…was," the doctor choked out between coughs, "checking…the skin grafts…on your back."

Skin grafts? As the doctor had said it, he did sense something alien on his back, as though someone had attached large strips of duct tape to him just underneath his first layer of skin.

"What are you talking about," said Ghost.

"When…you came in," the doctor began, slowly rising to his feet and comforting his throat, "there were large strips of flesh missing from your back. It looked like someone had just peeled them off like potato skins."

The memory of the ripping pain as the creature had assaulted him, threatened to break his control.

"They repaired the damage," Ryota said, his voice somehow fighting back Ghost's terror, "and replaced it with artificial skin."

"There were nanomachines added during the surgery," the doctor continued, "that are working to speed up the healing process and ensure your body doesn't reject the skin. They are also dulling the pain, or at least they should be."

"They are," said Ghost, "and doing a damn good job of it. I always thought a skin graft was supposed to hurt more."

"Normally they do…but not with the Institute's advancements," he said with an obvious measure of pride.

"Those 'advancements' weren't enough to stop one Diclonius from decimating my entire squad and putting me in some Frankenstein lab hospital room. Not that I'm not grateful for this job you've done on me but you'll have to excuse me for not being fucking ecstatic about all of this."

There was a stricken, petrified look on the doctor's face as Ghost said the words, and he was satisfied with that. He did not want anyone to forget who he was and what he was capable of. He was sure there would be plenty of vultures among the surviving soldiers who would love an opportunity to sneer at his defeat. That was just fine. Ghost would remind them why he was the one who led them. They would have to believe in him again if they were going to be of any use in the field and if fear was the tool he had to employ to accomplish it initially, then so be it. There was a part of him that resented the fact that he would need to do things this way. That had been Bando's way.

"There were also some other enhancements made," the doctor continued, "they reinforced the bones in your arms so you should be able to handle more powerful weapons without their recoil slowing you down too much. There were also some nanomachines injected into your blood which will interact with neurotransmitters in your brain. Their purpose is to create immediate rushes of endorphins in your system anytime your body undergoes any type of trauma."

"English doctor."

"You won't feel pain as much anymore. The second your body gets damaged, the nanomachines will go to work and suppress it. The new substances in your bloodstream may make you feel somewhat…off. How is your body handling it so far?"

Ghost ignored him and looked at Erich, avoiding Ryota's gaze. What was wrong with him? He had felt pleased to see Ryota coming to look in on him, but it seemed now that his every instinct caused him to feel enmity for the man who had taken him in and trained him to be a warrior. He wasn't thinking straight…he needed time…

"_We don't have time…"_

"We don't have time to sit here and fret about how I'm feeling," Ghost said, the commanding tone returning to his voice, "I'm up and I'm moving around and those freaks already have a head start on us. We need to get out there and start hunting them down."

"It's not that easy," said Erich. Ghost glared at him.

"Let me tell you something _director_. You aren't a fighter. You're a weak willed blue blood that smiles and nods while we are on the ground doing what you can't and won't. Don't tell me how to do my job, especially after what happened here. Your fucking freak had the run of this facility, this mess is on you, and I'm the man who's going to clean it up so why don't you just shut the fuck up and let me make the decisions on how to do that?"

"Ghost," Ryota said calmly, saying nothing more. He violently reigned in his anger. He felt like something was pushing at him. He had a sense of urgency that he simply couldn't shake and he was trying very hard to maintain his soldier's composure. It was like trying to hold back the ocean's waves. Regardless, he fell silent and merely waited for Erich to speak.

"As I was saying," Erich said in a controlled voice which did not quite hide his irritation, "it is not as easy as rolling into Kamakura in force. As far as we know, our targets are still in the city and if we flood the streets with S.A.T, they may attempt to escape the city. Westmore is contacting JSDF to create a perimeter around Kamakura. Until that time, we must keep as low a profile as we can in our search. Once that perimeter exists, then we can lock this place down and institute martial law. Once the perimeter lines are secure there won't be any place for them to go."

"So what do you suggest we do…Director?" said Ghost, sneering at the word "director". He still blamed Erich for Angel's rampage. If it had been Ghost in charge of the creature, she would have been sufficiently cowed and would never have done what she did.

"The others are nothing, they will be taken care of after JSDF gets involved. What we need to do, is get into the city and track down Angel…and kill her before things get too complicated."

"_He sounds desperate…he's got a personal stake in this."_

"Kill? Not recapture?"

"Kill," Erich said quickly, and with barely feigned vehemence.

"Seems contrary to the Institute's position on escaped test subjects."

Ghost wanted to know…he wanted to know why Erich wanted this. Why he needed this. He remembered the monster's words.

"_He belongs to me…"_

"Angel is too dangerous to be allowed to live," Ryota said, "the killing has already begun in Kamakura."

"What?"

Erich reached into his coat and pulled out a file with some pictures.

"We received these earlier this afternoon. There was a woman murdered on a hiking trail. The body was stripped naked and her possessions taken except for her ID. The woman's wounds were severe and the cause of death was damage to the brain. The skull was caved in as though someone had crushed it with their hands. One of our men in the Kamakura police department knew the death wounds for what they were and contacted us."

"How do you know it was Angel?"

At this, Erich's eyes seemed to go out of focus as he stared down at the photos. Ghost reached out and took them out of Erich's hand and began to look through them. The body had been ripped apart as if someone took great handfuls of flesh and simply pulled them off of the body. The head was crushed to an unrecognizable pulp but there was a wound on the woman's back…a message carved there with a knife.

"See you at home?" Ghost said aloud. He didn't understand.

Erich pulled out the ID of the dead woman which had come with the pictures.

"They've already sent police to the woman's residence. She lived there with a husband and two children…" Erich swallowed roughly, "the officers that were dispatched never reported back in. I caught them just as they were preparing to send an entire team out there."

"Angel is at this woman's house?"

"All the evidence seems to suggest it, and what's more, she knows that we know she's there. She's expecting us."

"Then what the fuck are we sitting here for?" Ghost said, pulling back the slide of his pistol. Ryota gave him a strange look, followed by a fleeting look of horror, quickly suppressed. What…the fuck was his problem?

"_Kill him Ghost. Before it's too late."_

"Aren't you listening?" Erich said, "she's expecting us. It's too easy, we can't just rush in without thinking. It's a trap, I'm sure of it."

"What the fuck does that bitch know? She was stupid enough to play games like leaving clues and breadcrumb trails. That's not how shit works in the real world. We're going to show up in force and grind her into the goddamn ground."

"Dammit you idiot! Isn't it enough that you underestimated her once and wound up a broken heap on a hallway floor?"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Ghost lunged forward and grabbed Erich's shirt in both hands, shoving him against the wall. He hadn't remembered dropping his gun, and hadn't heard it clatter, so focused was his sudden rage. Dimly he felt glad that the weapon didn't accidentally discharge, as even a minor wound would probably have proven deadly.

Suddenly he felt hands upon him, striking his pressure points and using his own body weight against him as he was violently thrown to the ground by Ryota. The shock of being so skillfully overpowered was sobering to him.

"Ghost, listen to me now," Ryota said, "you will remember who you are and your station. I, and surely Director Vanith, will excuse your current outbursts as you have recently gone through quite a traumatic experience with the rouge Diclinous, but you will regain control of yourself. We will not overcome the dangers posed by the escaped Diclonius by forsaking our faculties of reason and discipline. You are the squad leader and those men need you to lead them well against our enemies."

Ryota motioned to Erich, "This man understands our enemy. It would be wise to listen to his council if we are to succeed."

Ryota extended his hand to help Ghost up, and for a moment, he felt a wild desire to reach for the pistol on the floor, and shoot him with it.

"Get out of my head…" Ghost whispered.

"What was that?" Ryota asked.

"Nothing."

Ghost, ignoring Ryota's outstretched hand, began to stand, retrieving his gun as he did so and tucked it into his belt. He avoided Ryota's gaze as he got to his feet and instead glared at Erich, but did nothing more.

"I already had to go over this with Westmore and Ryota," Erich said, his composure regained rather quickly, "and I'm tired of saying the same things over again so just take my word for it, as if you need it. Angel is dangerous, but more than that, she's not stupid. This is too easy, too obvious."

"What do you think she's trying to do?" Ghost asked, making a determined effort to push aside his anger and look at the situation objectively. Ryota was right, they had to work together and think before they acted. These were not normal foes they were after. Erich placed his chin in his hand as he spoke.

"The police at the scene seemed to believe that the mutilation was not post mortem. Angel tortured this woman. There has to be a reason for that because the killing blow, and the message on her back, would have been enough to tell someone that the killing was by a Diclonius, and that it was her besides. Angel may have a taste for killing but torture she approaches differently. If it was just about the torture, we wouldn't have found the body outside. She would have taken her inside somewhere…where the screams wouldn't be heard so easily. The victim would also have looked a damn sight worse than she does in those photos.

Angel took all of this woman's possessions except the ID. I can only assume she's wearing the clothes she stole since we can't find them anywhere. She wouldn't be wearing them too much in public because by now she'd have to know the police would be looking for that. So if she did not go straight to this residence, she certainly wouldn't have been roaming around the city much. I think the point was to show up at this residence wearing the clothes. I…I think she wanted this woman's family to see her wearing them."

"Jesus christ…" Ghost whispered. Ryota's eyes closed to hide the pain deep within them.

"Why would she do that?" Ryota said, seething anger barely disguised in the calm cadence of his voice.

"They must still be alive. She wants us to find her there and stole the clothes specifically to torment the woman's family. They're a part of whatever she's planning. I don't know what's happening there, but I know she's involved them somehow."

"That bitch wants YOU to find her," Ghost said, his control threatening to slip once more, "that fucked up message on her back? This shit is obviously personal. And you're the guy who's been holding the leash on her all this time."

"I'm aware of that…which is why I'm going with the squad that's taking her down."

"Like hell you are," Ghost said, "you'll get in our way."

"She won't kill me. I'll probably be the only thing standing between your ill prepared squad, and a violent death."

"How the fuck do you know that?"

"I just…do."

"_Can you see it in him Ghost? Guilt, conflict. It's written on his face…it's like watching glass shatter slowly. He feels responsible. He is responsible. He'll fuck things up. You can't let him do it. If they make him go with you then you know what you have to do."_

_I'll kill him too, don't worry. Nothing's going to stop me. _

"_Damn right. Kill everyone if you have to. Nothing's going to stand in our way."_

_Nothing._

"_Nothing"_

"Ghost…what is it?" Ryota asked in a voice full of concern. Ghost's eyes flicked back up to meet Ryota and he heard dark laughter echo in the depths of his mind.

"Nothing," he replied slowly, meeting his gaze, not caring if Ryota saw the lie in his face. The truth would be forever beyond him. Ryota opened his mouth to speak again but then his radio chirped. The voice on the other end sounded like the other director…Westmore.

"Excuse me," Ryota said, pausing a moment to look into Ghost's eyes, searching for…something. Ghost fought the smile from spreading on his face. He would never know.

Until it was too late…

…wait a minute…too…

…_late? Late for what? I feel like there… _

…was a timer that was ticking in his mind, and there was a prickling in the back of his neck that felt like…

…_sand in an hourglass that's running out and I have no fucking idea…_

…what would come when the last grain of sand touched the bottom…

"…_but you can't fathom it no matter how hard you're trying to figure it all out. You're as broken as the shattered glass in Vanith's mind. I bet everyone can just tell huh?"_

What_…is wrong with…"us"?_

He found himself suddenly alone in the room. He must have been standing there for…how long? He just wasn't sure. He looked at the clock to try to judge how much time had passed but then realized he had not looked at the clock at any point before now, so there was no way he could figure out just how much time he lost in his reverie. He kept a tight grip on his pistol, the only thing that seemed real in his world anymore, and breathed slowly.

Shattered glass. Shattered like…memory? Memory. Personality. He knew who he was, didn't he? He knew where he had come from. Didn't he? He felt like he was floating in a dream world.

Looking over to a series of lockers, he found his shirt and a jacket hanging from there. They must have gotten his personal effects from his barracks locker. Walking slowly over towards the locker, he noticed the sheer lack of anything he could call his own. The Institute had time and again offered to pay for a residence that he could stay in, but he had always preferred to stay with the soldiers, with Ryota…with the world that always made sense to him. Now more than ever, he needed things to stay the way they were because so many things were out of control. Externally and internally.

The shirt was a simple white t-shirt, and the jacket was made of leather but was not the kind worn by motorcycle riders. On anyone else it would have looked commonplace but his own appearance was striking enough to cause it to make him stand out. Throwing on the shirt and jacket, he reached behind his head to smooth out the ice white hair which fell just short of his neck, then rubbed his face with his hands, sighing. On the top section of the locker was an old picture of his mother and father. He had kept it as a constant reminder of why he was dedicating his life to exterminating the Diclonius. They had destroyed his life, but those monsters had all condemned themselves for generations to come with the evils they had perpetuated upon him and his family. He was the avenger now…the hunter…and they the prey.

"_When you pull that trigger, it'll wipe the fucking smile off that bitch's face. She won't beat us a second time. Remember who you are."_

"I remember," he said aloud.

He picked up the picture and memories came rushing back to him. His mother screaming for them to stop…his father yelling hateful words.

"_MONSTERS! YOU MONSTERS!"_

The words were burned into his mind. Monsters…they were all monsters. Every one of their deaths was a little piece of revenge.

The door opened again, admitting only Ryota who stopped a respectful distance away. They stared at one another without words for a few moments before Ryota broke the silence.

"Ghost…tell me now. Are you alright?"

_No…_

"_Yes."_

"Yes sir."

"If you need more time Ghost, I can arrange it."

"I need action Ryota. I can't just sit here. Give me orders…please."

"_You're pathetic."_

"I do have new orders for you," Ryota said, "you aren't going to like them, but considering what you've been through and from where I'm standing, I think you need this. To get back into stride."

"I don't understand sir."

Ryota took a breath, "Westmore wants a team dispatched to the late Professor Kakuzawa's laboratory at Kamakura High. He wants all research concerning the Diclonius to be appropriated as soon as possible. He wants the work from the vaccine that was left there after Kakuzawa's death and Arakawa's imprisonment. I think he wishes to create an inoculate to use on the Institute's S.A.T forces, scientists…"

"…and himself. Pretty sure that's the real reason he wants it."

"Regardless, we all benefit, and so we need whatever data we can extract from the facility. Ghost, I want you leading that team."

"_You motherfucker! You can't do this to us! Fuck you! She's ours!"_

"I was under the impression that I would accompany Director Vanith to the dead woman's house to eliminate Angel."

"We have no shortage of Diclonius targets to destroy, but I think you need to let Vanith handle that one. I believe there is some sort of connection between the two of them that is deeper than test subject and handler. It may be wiser and cost less lives to let him find a way to outwit her."

"_Oh no shit they have a connection you stupid fuck! All it means is she'll know what to call one of the corpses."_

"You saw the video I'm sure. You saw the bodies. I don't think we can afford a subtle approach with this one. We need to be thinking slash and burn."

"Ghost, let Vanith handle this…I don't want you facing that monster again. Not so soon."

"_WE ARE NOT GODDAMN WEAKLINGS!"_

"Do you think I'm incapable of handling it sir?"

"I'm not saying that at all, but you need time to get adjusted to your new enhancements before you take her on…if it comes to that."

"_WHEN it comes to that. Those fucks don't stand a chance. They'll die…play along with this dumbshit for now. We'll get our chance."_

"I understand sir…you can count on me. I'll have the men ready in a few hours."

Ryota looked at him curiously, "I must admit Ghost…I expected a little more resistance to the order. I underestimated you. I apologize."

"_Oh you have no idea motherfucker."_

Ryota turned to leave but stopped in mid turn.

"One more thing Ghost, it would appear Westmore is sending reinforcements from America. Vanith has instructed us to be on our guard and I agree with him. Westmore's motives may not align with our duty to the people here, and I do not believe Westmore's reinforcements will hold to a notion of universal authority from the board of Directors. Those will be Westmore's men."

"_Doesn't matter. If they, or anyone else get in our way…we'll crush them."_

"Thank you sir…I'll keep that in mind."

"Good luck out there Sergeant."

Ryota left the room, leaving Ghost in a thick blanket of silence, interrupted every second by the sound of a clock ticking in the room somewhere…ticking…ticking…

"_It'll be dark soon…darkest it's ever been."_

Ghost looked at himself in the mirror and saw a world of shadows. He felt like there were things hidden at the edge of his mind…if he could only reach them.

"Time's wasting."

"_Time to go."_

"Find them."

"_Kill them."_

He took one last, deep breath, and stepped towards the door.

"_That's it…one…step…at…a…time…"_


	22. For Love

"It's cold out there."

Yuka was slightly startled from her reverie at the voice which sliced through the air, low, raspy, and sharp as a blade. She did not turn around however, contenting herself to simply stare at the setting sun as the dark clouds above began to swallow it slowly. Behind her, she heard the soft sound of dishes lightly clanging together on the dining table as a cup was retrieved from a saucer. She recognized the voice as the stranger who had come with Lucy to their home. Dimly, she knew that she should not have offered the woman her back in such a way, but had been too lost in thought to consider the danger. She was also weighed down by too much sorrow and worry to care. Her mind was consumed with images of what could have become of Mayu and Nana. Things unspeakable and with veils of the unknown cast upon them like shadows in dark alleys. As important as those things were to Yuka, guilt chased her thoughts as most of them still revolved around Kouta; a man who was not lost or in danger, but close by. So close that she would only need to take a few steps to be by his side, but she could never hope to stand there in the way she wanted to. She felt so terribly alone, with no one to turn to.

A cold gust found its way into the dining room and sliced through her, causing her to shiver and wrap her arms around herself.

"Yeah…I really should have gotten a coat or something," Yuka said, answering the voice.

Angel stepped to Yuka's side and took a long drink from a cup which steamed in the cold air.

"Not what I meant…" Angel said in a far away tone.

They stood in silence, watching the setting sun. Yuka stole a glance at Angel and found her staring coldly outward in the simple clothes she had arrived in. The darkening shadows of the coming night were painting themselves upon her, giving Angel an appearance of ghostly otherworldliness. Yuka had always found darkness funny that way. It could make something that was otherwise mundane, appear mysterious and foreboding. And Angel was mysterious enough as it was.

"You'll be leaving soon?" Yuka asked.

"Yes," Angel answered, "to look for your wayward family members."

Angel turned to Yuka and studied her.

"You don't feel the cold," Angel said simply.

"I do, I just forgot to get…"

"No…you don't feel it. You're insulated from it. This place…these walls…they protect you."

It struck Yuka suddenly that Angel was not talking about the winter air.

"These walls…they keep you."

"I don't want to be kept," Yuka said bitterly, "I guess you understand that better than I ever could."

"Then don't," Angel said.

"Someone has to stay here. Someone has to keep the light on so the rest of my family knows the way home."

"Maybe they've already found it. Perhaps that is why they have not come back."

Yuka whirled on Angel angrily to protest her statement but hesitated. It was never Yuka that had made this place home. She believed it was Kouta that did. What could she ever offer anyone? Nothing she gave meant anything to anyone. She was not the center of anyone's world. Even though she knew her family cared about her, she still felt like an intruder in her own life. An outsider looking into a life that she would never be a part of, because they did not want her to be a part of it. She gave them unconditional love. They gave her secrets in return. Yuka did not truly believe Mayu and Nana had simply run away, but she could not make herself believe that they might not one day decide to depart from her life.

What if Kouta found "home" elsewhere? What if they all left? Emptiness threatened to consume her.

"That's not true," Yuka said with an unconvincing tone of voice. She knew it couldn't be true, but sadness drained the strength from her voice. Angel reached out and touched Yuka's face, leaning forward to look deeply into her eyes.

"You're lost," Angel whispered, "but you know it. So many don't."

Something about Angel…the way she looked at her, the things she said. Yuka felt like the strange woman understood the way she was feeling better than anyone ever could. Yuka realized she had sorely wanted company. She had wished it had been Kouta however.

"You don't want me here," Angel said, seeing right through her. Yuka stepped back and looked away, almost sure that Angel was reading the emotions on her face as plainly as if they had been written there in ink.

"It's not that…I'm glad we can help you…"

"And I'm glad that you're helping me…"

"…I just…"

Yuka's eyes flickered to the hallway, and she knew Angel caught the movement.

"You desire other company this night…"

She knew. There could be no hiding from Angel, no secrets…Yuka felt comforted by that.

"You won't tell Lucy will you? She already knows enough of my feelings for Kouta."

Angel's eyes flickered sideways, as though she were putting something together. She turned to stare down the hallway as well.

"They are lovers," Angel said flatly.

"Yes," Yuka whispered, and swore for a moment that she saw a calculating glimmer in the woman's eyes.

"They are both your family."

"Yes…they are."

"But you wish for his company alone."

"I…yes…I do."

Angel looked back outside to the darkening sky. It would be full dark in another few hours.

"Why will you not simply take him?"

"I…" Yuka blushed and turned away, "I couldn't."

"You could merely walk in that room one day and take what is yours."

"Mine? He's not mine…he would never…"

"So you would not have him?"

"I…" Yuka knew she shouldn't be talking about this with Angel, a women she did not even know, but she had suddenly found herself in the middle of the conversation and it seemed she could not stop its forward motion.

"Lucy has taken him…while you refused to?"

"I just couldn't Angel…he's not in love with me."

"Would you really wish to hear such lies if he were to say he did?"

"Lies? How can you call him a liar? How DARE you call him a liar!"

"You misunderstand my intention in saying it to you. I do not think he would know he was lying. Love is a game humans play to make themselves feel less guilty about their very basic, human desire. Perhaps you would believe the words more if he had taken you…once that desire had a chance to develop."

Yuka stared at Angel in open shock. Where had she come from that this was the way she thought?

"Do you know if he desires you…Yuka?"

She felt herself blush again as she turned fully away from Angel, remembering sitting upon Kouta's lap…feeling him…against her. Feeling his fingernails digging involuntarily into her back…remembering how his breathing quickened. Remembering the moment she almost lost control of her own desire which had begun to run wild right before the rain stopped.

"He did once…didn't he?"

"It doesn't matter."

"And that is why he is not yours. You would not seize your moment."

Tears threatened to spill over onto Yuka's face. Angel was right…she was absolutely right. Yuka had never truly seized her moment. The moment they shared that one rainy day had not been enough to bond Kouta to her. If only she had gone a little further…

But she couldn't, because…

"Even if I had taken him…that too would have been a lie. Kouta…he hadn't come back to himself all the way yet. He was still suffering from his memory loss. He had pieces missing. How could I betray his trust by forcing myself upon him when I knew he was still picking up the pieces?"

"Memory loss?"

Yuka hadn't meant to say that. She had been talking more to herself.

"I didn't…"

"Pieces missing. Such memory loss…it was a condition imposed upon him then. Through physical injury? Or something…more?"

Yuka hesitated as she remembered being told.

"_Mom! I've had it! I've had enough! Why can't I see Kouta? It's been years and I miss him so much! Why won't anyone tell me how he's doing? All you ever say is that he's in the hospital or that he needs "time". Well it's been six years. SIX YEARS!"_

She remembered the pain and longing she had carried within her for every single day of those six years before she finally exploded, and would carry them for the remaining two. She would not hear lies anymore. No more secrets…

"_The 'train accident' Yuka…it wasn't an accident. Someone murdered…your uncle…and Kanae. Kouta was there when it happened. The killer is still out there somewhere…police haven't caught him yet. They say Kouta can't remember anything and that he has panic attacks when he sees anything that triggers his memory of the event. That's why we couldn't let you see him Yuka…we don't know what would happen if you walked in that room."_

"He saw something," Angel whispered, "something he did not want to see."

"I can't…I'm sorry Angel. I can't talk about this with you."

"Of course…I apologize."

Angel drained her glass and Yuka took it from her.

"Thank you," Angel said, "I'll be leaving now."

Yuka nodded and began to walk away. Angel's voice sounded behind her.

"You are safe in these walls. That's what walls are for…to keep you safe from what is outside. Or sometimes…what is inside. How sure are you that you want to break through Kouta's walls?"

"I've been sure of that since I was a child."

"And would you do whatever it took to do that? Would you go through Lucy to do it? Are you prepared for what lies behind Lucy's walls when you do?"

"What?"

Yuka turned around, but Angel was gone.

* * *

><p>Erich stood before the lonely house with a squad of S.A.T troops at his back, and never felt more alone in his entire life.<p>

The sky still retained a pale light as the sun faded entirely from view, and it was smothered in a gray blanket of clouds. A light snow had begun to fall, lightly dusting the leafless trees with a pure white; their gnarled and wretched hands stretching out to the cold sky. The house had no lights shining from within, and the front door was cracked slightly open. Here and there, Erich could see shattered windows where the snow blew in, leaving a coat of cold upon all it touched. Somewhere nearby, a streetlight tried to flicker to life but kept fluttering as there wasn't enough power running to the light. If a light could gasp, Erich was sure that was what it would do.

The only noise Erich could truly hear was the sound of the wind causing the dead tree branches to knock against one another, creating a wooden, clattering din. The tree line was as lifeless as the house appeared to be. The stillness and emptiness of the sight before him chilled his soul all the more at knowing what awaited him beyond the door and the pitch dark hallway within.

He seemed to often forget about the S.A.T squad as they went about their business of taking positions and spoke their mundane speech regarding battle tactics and entry strategies. It was like the clamor of another world. A world of which Erich was preparing to leave behind. He had implored Ryota to remain behind while he dealt with Angel. If something went wrong, it would not do to have the commander of their forces snuffed out here. As he thought of that, he wondered how exactly it could possibly go right. Standing before the house, Erich wondered if he hadn't merely led the men with him to their deaths. He supposed he could take a grenade with him and kill himself along with Angel but there was no guarantee that she wouldn't see it coming, or survive it. Besides, he didn't really want to die. It was going to be her that died. Erich wasn't sure how that was going to happen yet, but he knew he'd figure it out somehow.

He felt someone tap him on the shoulder. The nameless squad leader for this team. Erich hadn't bothered to learn his name.

"What is it?" Erich said.

"We're in position. Your radio functioning?"

"I tested it on the way in. I'll be able to alert you to move in on my mark. No one is to engage the target without authorization."

Erich reached into his coat and turned on his radio's beacon which would allow those tracking the signal to know where in the house he was. The idea was that it would make a surprise attack easier to manage, and for him to be located by another squad if anything went wrong.

"Sir…are you sure you want to do this? We can just level the place from here."

"You won't get her. She'll survive the bombardment and escape before you can throw out a second volley. I can move her into position, just make sure your snipers are ready to take her down. They're only going to get one shot at it. If they miss, Angel will very likely kill the captives and me…then you."

He turned away from the squad leader, not wanting to see the anxiety that he knew would be on his face. They all knew what was in that house. Erich worked up as much of his nerve as he could, then started walking towards the house. He stepped over the ruins of the surrounding gate which had been smashed to pieces, and drew his coat more tightly around himself. Birds called out in the pale sky as they flew overhead and a new gust of wind blew past him, strong. The sharp stab of cold quickened his step as he reached the front door, and he stood still for a moment, trying to see beyond the blackness of the hallway within. Holding his breath, he slid the door open slowly and grimaced when some of the edges caught on broken glass, the sound carrying farther into the house. He stepped across the threshold, and was swallowed by darkness.

He walked slowly, his footsteps crunching on snow that had drifted within the hallway and occasionally causing snapping sounds from the pieces of shattered glass that were on the floor. At first, Erich was confused as there had not seemed to be windows very near the front door, but as his night vision began to stabilize, he noticed what must have been family photographs on the walls with all the glass frames shattered.

When he reached the end of the hallway, he could make out a faint light within, and he stopped moving. Erich's breathing began to increase and he rested a shaking hand upon the wall as he slowly crept around the corner.

There was a small fire burning on the living room floor that gave off a nauseating scent, as though it were a chemical fire, and the light it gave off was very weak. It was enough to illuminate the rest of the room which was in a disheveled state with dead leaves strewn about the floor and piece of broken furniture scattered everywhere. The light was also bright enough to illuminate all the things he didn't want to see.

"I've been waiting for you," came a sepulchral, raspy voice.

It was her…Angel.

He couldn't see her face, or much of her body as she stood in front of the small fire burning in the living room, making her appear as a silhouette. In one hand was a knife that she held in a tight grip, and her other one was making a steady rhythm of clenching and relaxing. A sudden howl of wind sounded from outside and a gust blew into the living room from the hallway, throwing the firelight around the room and making the shadows it cast seem like living monsters that were dancing in the flames.

Erich tried his best to gather his wits about him. He couldn't let her frighten him. The game had begun.

"You weren't waiting too long I trust?"

"For you Erich? The wait is never too long…makes it all the sweeter when the waiting is done."

Angel turned around to look behind her and Erich saw her face illuminated by the firelight, somewhat splattered with blood.

"But I think they would disagree…they've been waiting all day. And I don't think they can wait another moment."

As Angel stepped aside, Erich could see the room's other inhabitants. There was an older man that seemed to be about Erich's own age that was sitting in a chair…or rather…he was pinned there by what looked like rebar that was driven into the floor through his feet. His chin and neck were covered in a mass of blood and he kept making strange noises which seemed to be attempts at speech, or screaming. He sobbed occasionally and Erich saw fresh blood pour from his mouth.

Sitting next to the man in a smaller chair was one of the two daughters. She was bound merely with tape around her arms, legs, and feet. The chair itself was turned to face the man who Erich could only assume was her father. Erich shut his mind off and tried to keep his composure. Here were two of the three remaining family members but where was…

"Come in here sweetheart…papa's home," Angel whispered gently.

From a doorway which seemed to lead into a kitchen, came the third child…and she looked…

Erich took a step back as recognition slammed into him like a fist before he realized that this girl couldn't be her…she just looked like her…

"I made her look like Little Sarah," Angel said, her familiar mocking tone rich in her voice, "spent quite some time at it. She even has all the scars…your scars."

The child's face was of a ghastly appearance with a number of slices that had been carved on her. She trembled violently and her pants were soaked with urine.

"You…BITCH!"

Without thinking, Erich threw himself at Angel and felt something like a sledgehammer slam into his stomach and cause him to double over in pain. He coughed roughly and vomited on the floor.

"I think that anger of yours is somewhat misplaced baby."

"How…could…"

"How could I? You always did have a short memory. She looks just like her, doesn't she?"

"FUCK…YOU!"

"Look at her Erich."

He raised his head and stared at the mutilated child who was sick with fear. Angel had cut the girl's hair in a haphazard fashion, just like…Sarah's…had been. Her hair was the same color, and the clothes…looked like what they found her wearing when…

"She…does," Erich said, shaking as he looked upon the tortured girl.

"You had been rather candid with me when first I came with you to Europe. You told me exactly what was going on with the other girls. You told me what you were all trying to do. You even let me meet a few of those unfortunate creatures that you had forsaken for me. I was flattered Erich, I must admit that I was."

With great effort, Erich stood on his feet and tried to look in Angel's direction, but she forced him physically to continue staring at the child.

"Little Sarah was your youngest then. A worthless thing you had deemed her. Do you remember why you judged her worthless?"

He remembered.

"She was an anomaly. The first time we had ever seen mental retardation in a Diclonius mind. We hadn't thought it possible."

"But you made her live."

He didn't answer.

"Why did you make her live? Say it."

He forced himself to stare into the child's eyes. He owed her that much.

"The cybernetic and neuroscience divisions were still in their early stages. We wanted to experiment with various implants on a Diclonius test subject that was…disposable."

"And Little Sarah was…disposable. Wasn't she? She was simple…worthless. Just what you needed."

"We were experimenting with implants that could restore or spark higher brain functions," he said, "but a lot of the tests failed."

"When I met her, Little Sarah's face was mutilated almost beyond recognition with constant scarring from any surgical experiment that came to your deliciously creative mind. Anyone else would have simply given up and died…why didn't Little Sarah give up?"

He didn't want to say it. This was all some kind of nightmare world, removed from the real one he had left behind as he'd walked through that door and into this. Angel smiled an awful, cruel smile as she turned to the mutilated girl.

"Just like I taught you sweetheart," Angel said to the girl, "look at him…and say it."

Erich stared into the child's eyes…Sarah's eyes…and saw something beyond horror within them. Her lips parted and she started saying something in a small voice.

"Louder."

"…l…ove…m…my…daddy…"

Erich tried to reach into his coat to sound the alert. To get the assault team inside the home to take her down. Erich didn't care anymore about their chances. He would grab the child in the confusion and run. Just run far away and try to hide…get help. Only he couldn't. His arms were held tightly by Angel's vectors. As he struggled, the child kept repeating the words as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"…love…m…my…"

"SHUT UP!" Erich screamed.

With a mocking chuckle, Angel walked around to face Erich, the firelight playing off of her blood red eyes.

"If the worthless men in Kamakura had not tried to 'bond' with me before you came, I might not have understood. But when I saw her I did. That was your job Erich. To give us something to hold onto. You gave that simple girl a father…and she would have done anything to keep you."

"She was a test subject! Just like you!"

"I wondered sometimes at night, when you left me alone to sleep, if you ever gave her a second thought…when you told me to hunt her down. She certainly thought about you."

Pain lanced through Erich's heart. Had he been this person? Looking at the wretched state of the child before him, it was like someone had dug up Sarah's grave to mock him with his sins.

"Her escape from your facility surprised you Erich. It surprised you all."

She was right, it had caught them completely unawares. Little Sarah had been the first to ever escape his facility, but mostly because they had all imagined such a feat would have been impossible for such a mentally challenged girl. She had needed almost twenty-four hour care to do even the simplest of things. And that had been the point of the experiments; to discover if she could eventually learn the simplest of things.

"You saw opportunity Erich. You had just started training me…teaching me. It was time to test the worthiness of your new…investment. I knew you weren't listening to Little Sarah when she tried to tell you how much she loved her daddy…but I was listening. Do you know why I didn't fight you when you ordered me to kill Sarah? Do you know why I came back instead of making you come find me?"

Angel walked closer to Erich and searched his face. He could hear the father in the chair break out into another fit of sobs as the girl strapped in the chair began to convulse violently against her bonds, as if having a seizure. The father made desperate sounds as he tried to lift himself off of the chair but the pain from his impalement kept him seated. More blood poured from his mouth.

"I didn't fight you, because I wanted to do it. I wanted to find Sarah and look into her eyes. I wanted to hear her tell me how much she loved you. I wanted to know why she would have chosen to run away when she did and not sooner. I had tracked her down in a matter of hours, but I chose to watch her for a while. I wanted to see what she would do, and where she was going…because she did appear to have a purpose. That fascinated me, because according to you, she should have been completely senseless."

Angel reached for Erich's face and wiped away tears that had fallen from his eyes. He had not remembered crying. He tried to wrench his head away but she grabbed a fistful of his hair in one hand and held him still.

"I realized how she escaped…because you see Erich, it was the how that inevitably was more interesting than the why. As it turned out, some of your experiments were working…and her intelligence had risen to a higher degree. Not enough to understand that she was being wronged, but enough for her little heart to break when you stopped seeing her personally. You removed yourself entirely from the reality of her fate. You gave orders and you never had to see the realities of your decisions when it came to Sarah."

"Angel for Christ's sake let these people go. This is between you and me, don't bring these people into it."

"I saw her crying alone at a park somewhere in the city. I knew the end had come, and so I visited her. I looked in her eyes and asked her why she was crying. You know what she said to me?"

The man in the chair began to scream; an animal sound that seemed muffled somehow. As his mouth opened wider Erich could see why. His tongue had been cut out. Erich tried once again to struggle against Angel to no avail.

"She said, 'daddy doesn't love me anymore'. That's what she said."

"You…fucking…" Erich said, hatred making him spit the words out. He couldn't finish the insult. He couldn't think of a word horrid enough to hurl at her that would be sufficient.

"This is the sort of ridiculous thing people die for. That's what I felt as she said the words to me. Right then, I knew that killing her was the right thing to do. She was out gathering flowers. Did you know that? I think she meant them for you."

"Stop…please Angel…stop…"

"So I killed Little Sarah…for you…Erich. It was the first time I had ever done something for you, and not just because you told me to. Can you appreciate the difference?"

Angel turned to her three victims.

"Love…it's a game. A system of control. You can make a person do anything for it. You understood that. You were the first person I ever saw to use it as a weapon. I came back because I wanted to play the game that you won and Sarah lost. I knew in the moment that Little Sarah said those words to me, that there was something to be understood about you. Something beneath the surface…something…that resonated with me. Something I needed to know."

The child bound in the chair suddenly stopped moving, and the father began crying in racking sobs.

"But your journey with Little Sarah is not over yet. You showed me something that night…and now I want to show you something. The decisions you made back then…were for the greater good…yes? That was your justification?"

He wanted to answer her, but the suffering that was all around him seemed to put the lie to that statement's veracity.

"You never saw this through to the end. You need to see it through. It's the only way you will ever know if you believed in your own convictions. You ordered me to kill Sarah."

Angel took a step towards the mutilated child and led her close to Erich. Angel then pressed the knife in Erich's hand and released her control of him.

"Now," she said, "it's your turn."

"What?"

"Kill her."

He considered for a moment trying to use the knife against Angel, but he could see in her eyes that she was expecting him to do exactly that. She would overpower him easily and repeat her demand. She would not stop until he did this. He tried suddenly to reach into his coat but found his hand stopped by an invisible force before he was able. Erich glared at Angel.

"What if I refuse?"

"Why would you? The blood is already on your hands. This will make it real for you…as it should be."

"Sarah is long dead," Erich said in a rising panic, "this girl isn't her."

"Of course she is. They are the same in all the ways that matter. Her pain is Sarah's pain, her fear is Sarah's fear…and so is the betrayal…that is real too."

"Betrayal? What are you talking about?"

"Finish it Erich. Or I kill everyone in this room…and everyone waiting for me outside. You cannot save this girl. She is already dead. In every way that matters."

The knife shook in his hands and he nearly dropped it as the child realized what was happening and tried to back away. Angel grabbed a fistful of the child's hair and forced her on her knees.

"Don't worry sweetie…it's almost over," she whispered.

"Angel…you can't…you can't make me do this."

"You have already done it. Time to stop hiding from what is real…time to stop hiding from your decisions and the consequences of the path you've chosen to walk. Walk with me Erich…cut her throat…like I cut Sarah's throat."

Angel waited as the man in the chair thrashed against the rebar. Erich saw fresh blood bubbling out of his shoes and pouring from his mouth as he screamed nonsense at him.

"Erich…their time is running out. This is the only way you can save them now."

Panic flared up in Erich and felt like he was losing his sense of reality. He couldn't remember when he had rested the knife's edge against the child's throat. She cried and trembled with fear.

"You're taking this slow…letting her understand what is coming…letting her stand at the edge of the abyss. I admire that Erich. A person should feel their death coming, not just see it. Not be surprised by it."

"I…I'm not! You fucking vile piece of…don't make me do this…"

"Last chance Erich, and then I do what you won't."

He heard the man in the chair screaming louder and louder. Erich swore he could hear the word "no" being cried out over and over.

He looked into Angel's eyes…and saw a rush of wild violence fill them. A singular moment when he saw a storm about to break like a tidal wave preparing to crash down upon thousands. He felt himself slide away in the fury of that storm, and for a single awful moment…he and Angel…were one.

Erich slashed with the knife; a steel ringing sound piercing the air, followed by a loud gust of cold air from outside. His hand felt warm and wet with something…and he heard lurid sounds of gurgled choking.

Erich screamed, and the father screamed. Angel laughed…and Erich reached into his coat, unfettered from Angel's vectors at last.

"NOW! ALL UNITS MOVE IN!"

The world seemed to pause in a deathlike silence as Angel looked at him, darkness covering her face.

"I'm so glad you came to see me…"

Windows shattered nearby, footsteps running…closer…closer.

"Watch me Erich…don't close your eyes…"

The living room exploded with movement as the soldiers moved in. Before any of their guns trained on her, Angel had grabbed the bloody knife from Erich's hand and threw it at the first man who had entered from the kitchen, burying it to the hilt in his brain. She was at his corpse in a second, retrieving her knife and kicking him into two men who were approaching from an adjacent hallway, knocking them over. The man who had gotten into the room before them fired at her wildly, but she easily dodged the gunfire, kicking off of the wall and spinning in midair to catch the gun barrel as she landed. She forced him to point it at the hallway Erich had entered the room from. Erich took cover as the spray of gunfire killed one man who was approaching.

Angel stabbed the wrist of the man she had reached and made him drop the gun, ducking behind him and holding her knife to his throat as she used him for a shield. With a deft movement, she had corralled the five men remaining in the room to a corner, somewhat spread out. She slit the man's throat and retrieved the pistol from his holster, kicking him into one of the soldiers. As they fell, Angel shot the next man over as some of the men ducked behind a couch for cover. A soldier who was still on his feet at out in the open pointed his weapon at her and fired, but did so too late as she flattened herself instantly and shot him in the throat.

The man who had been knocked over with the corpse was back on his feet and had just retrieved his weapon when Angel got back up and grabbed him, lifting him off of the ground and placing him in front of her as the two soldiers who had gone for cover, came back out with guns firing. The man Angel held was riddled with bullets and died screaming.

Angel kicked out the small fire on the ground, casting the room in darkness but for those small pieces that still burned. As the soldiers fired their weapons blindly, Erich could see no sign of Angel in the muzzle flashes. Looking at the soldiers as they fired, he did finally see her during one burst of gunfire. She was standing behind them, her knife reaching for one of their throats.

"WATCH OUT!" Erich screamed…too late. There was a spray of blood and the first man dropped. When the second man realized what was happening, Angel flipped the knife around in her hand and buried it in the top of his skull. He was dead before he hit the ground, his rifle discharging once as it fell to the floor.

There was a faint sound of something being thrown into the room from the kitchen…grenades.

"You idiots!" Erich screamed as he ducked uselessly, knowing everyone in that room would die when the grenades went off. Erich barely had time to duck when he saw them lifted back into the air by an invisible force, and tossed back into the kitchen. Erich heard the panicked screams before the ear splitting explosions tore the kitchen, and the men, to shreds. Erich could see the glow of a burning fire in its infancy starting from the kitchen.

More footsteps coming from both hallways. Angel grabbed two pistols off of the ground and he saw her stand still…concentrating.

"No!" Erich cried out, "she's counting your footsteps! Get back!"

Six men burst into the room from two hallways, and Angel pointed her guns in opposite directions, opening fire upon them immediately. Four died instantly from head shots, but the other two knew enough to take cover immediately and return fire. It did no good as Angel rushed to the wall and kicked off of it to avoid the first volley of gunfire, then leaping to get behind them. She dropped her pistols as she landed and the men pulled knives from sheaths. Angel grabbed the back of one's head and smashed his forehead with her elbow. Erich heard the skull crack loudly as she took the knife from his hand, leaning backwards to dodge the other man's knife swing. Her counterattack was swift and lethal, shoving the knife blade through his eye, and into his brain. The body hit the floor with a mundane finality as she ripped the knife out. And just like that…it was over.

In the resulting silence, Erich could hear Angel's breath coming rapidly. He felt a sickness in his gut as he realized it was not from exhaustion, but from excitement. This was the monster he had built…he had showed her every step of that terrible dance…and she had executed it flawlessly. He looked over at the child who was still bound in tape, but she was not moving. Looking over to where the father had been sitting, he saw him lying dead. One of the bullets had gone through his head, and blood poured from the wound. Erich collapsed upon the ground and clenched his fists, then he began to scream. He wasn't sure when he stopped screaming but it must have been for a while, as his throat felt raw once his screams finally stopped.

"Sshhh," he heard Angel whisper, "it's all over baby."

"Kill me…fucking kill me…because if you don't Angel…I swear to God…I'll find a way…I'll find a way to kill you."

"I know. You always were an intelligent man…I'm sure you could find a way. But you won't do it…when the moment comes."

"I will…I fucking swear I will!"

"No you won't. Because by then you will see. You'll see why all of this was right. You will be free…"

Angel walked towards Erich and he scrambled away from her to the wall. Straddling him, she lowered herself to reach into Erich's coat and retrieved the radio with the signal beacon.

"You're mine now Erich, and I say it is time for you to walk your path…instead of letting others walk it for you."

She crushed the device in her hand and let it fall in pieces to the floor. She stood back up and surveyed the carnage all around her.

"You remember when I mentioned betrayal?"

Erich stood up slowly, trembling. She had destroyed the beacon, and the entire S.A.T squad. Erich was completely off the grid, the Institute would have no way to know where he was or if he was alive.

"Love…it's just a system of control. It can make you do terrible things."

Angel walked over to a nearby shelf and picked up a small black object…a minitape recorder. She pressed play and the sounds of horrible screaming filled the room. The sounds were from a woman.

"_PLLLEEAASSEEEE! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!"_

Erich knew…

"_HEELLPP MEEEEE! OH GOD! OH GODDDDD!"_

It was her…

"_I HAVE A FAMILY! PLEASE DON'T! PLEASE DON'T…"_

"You…sick…FUCK!" Erich screamed, "the woman on the hiking trail! You fucking recorded the murder!"

"I recorded the torture…not the murder. You see, when I arrived here and overpowered this woman's frail husband, I let them all listen to a woman who was suffering…but not a woman who was dying…yet."

Angel turned the recording off and threw the minitape to Erich who promptly launched it away from him, causing it to break apart against the wall.

"I asked them a simple question…what would they do for love? I asked them that question often, after every playback of the audio…of which there were several hours of…played several times."

Angel looked at the girl bound in tape, who Erich understood by now was quite dead.

"I asked her if she would drink poison. She said yes…"

Angel then looked at the scarred child…who Erich had killed.

"I asked her if she would let someone cut her face with a knife…she said yes."

She then turned to the father…the husband…the man who was the center of their world, and Erich knew what Angel was going to say before she said it.

"And I asked him if he would inflict these torments on his daughters…and himself…so that they might all live. I wonder now what a greater man would have done. Or if this person was typical of most people in the world who are afraid to die. Perhaps there are no great men…"

"That doesn't make sense! He wouldn't have made his daughter drink poison then! Knowing it would…"

"I told him it would not kill her…I lied of course. I knew if he thought they would die anyway, he would resist to the last. I wanted to know if the desire to have someone they loved return to them was great enough to cause the whole family to butcher themselves. As I watched him force the liquid down that girl's throat, cut his own tongue out, and slice up his other daughter's face…I merely felt disappointed. I'm still not sure where that was coming from since it appeared that it had all gone according to my wishes…and expectations."

Angel fished around on the ground and selected two more pistols from the ground, placing them on a shelf as she unlatched one of the utility belts from a dead soldier, clipping it onto herself and placing the pistols in holsters.

"But that disappointment passed. I knew you were coming soon…I knew you would want to see this…knew you needed to see this."

Angel took a few steps to the side and Erich noticed something hanging from the father's hand. It was a pistol, smoke still trailing up from the barrel.

"He fired that gun one time," Angel said, "I saw it. He had a choice in that moment, doing what he had done to his family and himself. He could kill me…"

Erich could hear the sound of blood dripping onto a pile of leaves. The father's head wound continued to drain blood onto the floor.

"…or he could kill himself. Tonight, you two were the same person. I wanted to show you what separates you…from them. You can live with what you've done…because you were doing what you had to do. This man…who chose to take his own life as I killed your soldiers…he also did what he felt he had to do. But he was not strong enough to live with the consequences."

"You made him kill his family you fucking monster! It's not the same as…"

"As letting me kill Little Sarah for you? Or the rest of our 'family' that I hunted down in the years following?"

"Fuck them! And fuck you!"

"That…is what makes you different from other people. Such emotional ties that caused this man to give up his life were never wrapped around you. You did not permit it. You tied yourself to me instead…someone you would kill if you could."

Erich wanted to kill Angel more than anything in that moment. Frustrated, helpless rage twisted him at knowing that he would have no chance if he tried.

"You will walk away from this," Angel said, "because you will not allow their suffering to enter your heart. You will do whatever you must…no matter the cost, or who you destroy. That is the path you chose to walk but you've been walking it with your eyes closed. That was the lesson that Little Sarah was supposed to teach you…but you cheated yourself out of it when you called upon me to do what at the time, you could not."

Angel walked towards Erich and stood before him, their faces inches apart.

"I killed Sarah, not just because I knew it was the right thing for me to do, but because I always knew that one day, I would get the chance to teach you that lesson. I'm so glad…that I had this chance. You did not disappoint me."

Angel firmly grabbed Erich's arms and kissed him. After a moment, Erich violently broke away and vomited on the floor. Angel released him and let him drop.

"Good night…lover."

When Erich looked up, Angel was gone. All was silent except for the wind blowing outside. The room was dimly illuminated from the growing kitchen fire and Erich could see the ghastly remains of the dead family. His gaze fell upon the mutilated girl and he let out a few gasping breaths. Raising his shaking hands, he looked at the blood that was soaked upon them…her blood…Sarah's blood. The room was a tomb, juxtaposed against the walls of a normal home where a normal family lived. Now it was transformed into a nightmare world in which they all died horribly. At her hands…

…no…

At their hands. He and Angel…they had done this together.

He knew there would be no help coming. No reinforcements. What they had would be committed elsewhere, and the police had been strictly ordered to stay away from the residence. Erich knew he had to get out of there. Very soon, the kitchen fire would spread throughout the house and burn it down. Burn it until there was nothing but ashes…

…better that way.

He stood up and began to stumble down the hallway, back out of the front door, and into the cold air. Snow fell heavily from the inky dark sky, and the lonely sound of wind through dead tree branches seemed to hiss. Erich felt it had a funereal air to it.

Looking out at the trucks that had brought the soldiers to the home, Erich could already see from where he was standing that the radios had been ripped out and destroyed, and all the tires flattened. It seemed wherever Erich was going to go, he was getting there on foot. He looked out and saw the lights of the city nearby casting the world around it in an pale glow. She would be there somewhere…she would have gone back to the city. The Institute's men would be there as well. Maybe he would find some way to kill her…to end this.

Shivering from cold and horror, he started slowly walking down the street, towards the city, the grim silence occasionally interrupted by gusts of wind and the sound of snow crunching under his feet.


	23. Vengeance

**Author's note: ****Sorry about the long stretch of time between updates. I'm in the midst of three term papers and it's quite time consuming. Thanks all of you who are continuing to encourage me in this endeavor!**

* * *

><p>Snow gently blanketed the ground around Kamakura High School, and dusted it's many structures. It could be seen in varying colors of white and pale yellow from the ghostly illumination of various light posts. The wind gusted occasionally, shifting the snow around in the air and carrying the sounds of distant traffic and police sirens.<p>

Bando wrapped his newly acquired black jacket tightly around himself at the new gust of wind, and took another drag on his cigarette, exhaling in a large cloud of smoke and steam from his hot breath against the bitterly cold air. His stomach was in a knot and his concentration was sharp as he listened to the sounds of the night and the more distant sounds of city night life, trying to determine if there were any sounds of vehicles, or people, getting close. He held his pistol in his left hand rather than his right, wanting to feel the cold metal against his skin.

Next to him, Mayu stood stoically in the new clothes they had appropriated for her on the way to the school. Her uniform would not have been sufficient for the night's cold. At Bando's suggestion, they had gotten a pair of boots and jeans for her which he'd imagined would be fitting clothing for the occasion. Arakawa had scoffed at him imposing his terrible fashion sense upon a female, but relented when Mayu eagerly accepted it. Mayu had then picked out a simple white shirt and a dark jacket which was cut well, had two rows of buttons in the front and looked rather sharp on her, Bando had noted. The jacket was, in a subtle way, the most feminine thing she wore. It made her look far older than Bando knew her to be. He imagined that had been the point. The gust of wind tossed hair which had grown down slightly past her shoulders; she continued her vigil, not bothering to move the hair from her face.

At a motion from Bando, Nana turned from where she stood and concentrated on a nearby light post that was illuminating a maintenance entrance door. Invisible hands unscrewed the glass cover that was over the light, and then removed the light gently from its socket, flooding their current area in darkness. In the soft illumination from other lights around the school, he could see Nana smile as she gently placed both glass cover, and light bulb, safely out of the way. She once again wore the heavy, dark, flowing dress that he had become accustomed to seeing her in. Arakawa had had something to say about that piece of clothing as well, taking the time as the day wore on to stitch the numerous rips that were on the dress. Nana had almost cried at the gesture. When Nana had hugged Arakawa, Bando had been able to see the reservation in Arakawa's eyes that was still there from her previous hatred of the Diclonius. He understood; such a thing did not leave one's heart so easily.

"Alright Akane," Bando said quietly, "let's go."

Nodding, Arakawa started towards the door. She had discovered her old keys to the school but had explained that just walking into the front door would likely have been a bad idea. There was an alarm in place and so much time had passed that Arakawa was not sure that they had not changed the codes since she was last there. Curiously, they had not extended this alarm system to the maintenance door. Seemed even more curious since it was there that they could shut the entire system down. Bando chuckled to himself softly at the stupidity of it.

Arakawa's face had set in a grim determination as they had gotten closer to the school. He even thought he detected a measure of anxiety. It was understandable; if anything went wrong with this stage of the break in, it was likely that alarms would sound and they would have wasted their best, and perhaps only chance to gain access to the lower levels of the school, where the satellite Institute laboratory was. She carried with her a few gym bags to hold whatever it was that she had to take with her.

Bando was certainly nervous; he wanted to be in, and out of there as soon as possible. They couldn't risk confrontation with how pitifully armed they all were. Their biggest gun was by far, Nana. He still had his own desert eagle pistol with an extra clip of bullets. Mayu still had her 9mm pistol but no additional ammo, so whatever was left in her gun was all she had. Arakawa also had a pistol, but like Mayu, no additional ammunition. To make matters worse, some of the bullets in her magazine had already been fired. It was a standard .45 caliber so he imagined if it came down to a confrontation with the Institute, they would at least be more likely to resupply Arakawa's weapon. They had spoken about their self defense measures, and Bando had been very strict about their weapons only being used to provide whatever cover they needed to elude pursuers. They didn't have the resources to fight a protracted battle with any pursuer.

Arakawa concentrated on getting the key in the lock and as she fumbled with the keys, Bando's stomach twisted in a small knot of anxiety at the possible oversight that maybe they had changed the locks on her. He didn't want to have to start kicking in doors at this point just yet. Fortunately, after a few moments, she found the right one and keyed into the door, motioning for their party to enter the dark room beyond. They moved quickly inside and she shut the door, relocking it. Bando removed his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open, the faint LED light illuminating the room.

"Need to hurry up and find a light switch. My phone's been almost dead for days. I don't exactly have a lot of opportunities to charge it."

After a short search, Arakawa found one upon the wall and flipped it, causing a series of overhead lights to illuminate the room in sections. Bando closed his phone.

"Alright," he said, "now what do we do?"

"What we came here to do," Arakawa said, "we'll head to Kakuzawa's old lab. There's only one way in or out of there so while I'm down there, I need you guys to keep a lookout. Do you still have your radio?"

Bando retrieved it from his coat and held it up. Arakawa then began to fumble with one of the dials until it reached a particular frequency. She then removed a strange, obviously homemade electronic device from her own coat and spoke into Bando's radio to test it. He heard her own voice on the other end and placed her makeshift radio back into her coat with a satisfied look.

"I won't be able to talk to you on this, but I can hear you. If you see anything or anyone coming that looks like police or Institute people, tell me so I can wrap it up and get the hell out of there."

"How long do you expect to take down there?" said Mayu, taking the words out of Bando's mouth.

"Hopefully not more than fifteen or twenty minutes. Some of the stuff down there needs to be disassembled and packed up in such a way that it won't break during transport. Look, let's just get going. The sooner we get done with this, the sooner we can get out of here and back to my apartment."

"First thing's first," Bando said, looking around. After a few moments he found what he was looking for and opened an electrical box on one of the walls. Opening it, it took him little time to find what he was looking for and disabled the school's alarm system.

"That should allow us to move around easier."

"That…was fast. How did you learn to do that? I didn't think electrical systems were a strong point of yours," Arakawa said.

"They're not. I'm an agent trained by the Institute. Breaking and entering is something of a specialized field. One of the first things they teach us is how to infiltrate heavily guarded buildings. Step one: cut the damn alarms off."

"Fair enough," she said with a grin.

Bando stepped past Arakawa to take the lead, and unlocked the door which would take them to the hallways.

"This is it," he said out loud, mostly to psyche himself up, "in and out in half an hour, forty-five minutes tops. Let's move."

He opened the door and with slight direction from Arakawa, they began moving at a brisk pace down the dark corridors. As they moved through the halls, the images they passed seemed surreal to Bando. A place of learning, full of children in the daytime, seemed so sinister once light was absent from the hallways and classrooms. As they passed empty room after empty room with empty desks in neat rows, Bando had the impression that a scene such as this would be a poignant allegory for a dead world with no future. The enormity of what was at stake began to settle in on him in the oppressive quiet of the vacant hallways. Room after room passed them by in a blur of motion, as large windows showed the same scene of falling snow and distant darkness where the outside lights could no longer pursue it.

After a short distance, Arakawa led them away from the main hallway into a smaller one where various offices were located on either side. They came to a stop at one of them just before the hallway terminated and she turned to the three of them.

"I'll go on alone from here. As you can see, this isn't exactly a place we want to get caught if there are any unwelcome visitors. There's no way out from here. You guys keep a lookout, I'll try to be as fast as possible."

She quickly keyed into the door and gave them all a pointed look before disappearing inside. Bando began walking back out of the small hallway, Nana and Mayu following behind, until they reached the main hall. Bando cursed under his breath.

_Keep a lookout…school's fucking huge. I can't be everywhere…_

He looked at Mayu who was in a constant state of alert; eyes checking corners and locating possible exits…good girl. Maybe he could…

"Mayu," he said aloud to get her attention.

She looked at him without saying anything, giving him her attention without overacting to accentuate that attention, as she would have once. There was confidence there, strength. He didn't like the idea of separating them after making the point that they should never split up, but they really didn't have much choice here if they were going to cover the ground they needed to cover to ensure they didn't get any surprises. Besides, they weren't going to be there long.

"Listen, I can't see shit from here. I need to make some rounds, make sure there isn't anyone trying to follow us in here."

"Alright, I'll come with you and…"

"No Mayu…I need you to stay here."

She looked at him, slightly shocked, "but, we shouldn't split up. Isn't that what you said?"

"I know what I said, but we're blind in here. I want to be able to look around but we can't leave Arakawa without someone here just in case. I want you and Nana to stay here and do that."

"Bando," she said in a worried tone of voice, "I…"

"Mayu, I'll be alright, don't worry about me."

"I'm not…I just. I don't know, I have a bad feeling about this."

"You're just nervous. I'm guessing you didn't do a whole lot of B&E in your lifetime?"

"No…not a whole lot," she said with a small smile.

"It's just jitters, it'll pass. Just hang back here until Arakawa comes out of there. I'll be back around by the time she should be getting finished."

He shifted his gun to his synthetic hand, and lifted the other to her cheek, pressing it into his palm. She reached a hand up and placed it over his own and closed her eyes briefly. After a moment, she let his hand go and he stepped back.

"I won't be long."

He turned and began making his way to the front of the school. When he rounded a corner and was out of sight, he chambered a round in his pistol. That image he had seen in the snowdrifts earlier as they were breaking in was probably nothing. He didn't want to worry the rest of them prematurely, they were worried enough.

It was probably nothing.

* * *

><p>Ghost gripped his new pistol tightly, enjoying the strength of the metal in his hand as he gazed upon Kamakura High School. His entire being was charged with purpose, even in something as small as this. They were to retrieve whatever they could from Kakuzawa's old laboratory, and although it was a minor task, it had given him a chance to become acquainted with his new squad mates. That had been important, for they were all united in something that bound them more than duty. He had realized that as he'd met the squad. They were all survivors of The Massacre, always referencing it in hushed tones and funereal reverence. Ghost had expected disgust and disloyalty when he arrived to assume command of his squad. He was outright shocked as he had walked into the briefing room to see an entire squad wearing the insignia of Ghost Squad, freshly sown into their combat dress. At Ghost's obvious shock, one of the men had approached him immediately.<p>

"_Ghost…sir. Let me explain…"_

He had remained silent, merely waiting for the man to begin.

"_The guys…those men that the monsters took from us. They were our friends. Some of them our families. My brother…he was in your squad. I remember the day you personally handpicked him to serve under you. You should have heard him," _he said with a short laugh, _"said one day he was going to make you sit up and take notice. He always believed, just like every man in this room believed, and still believes, that you would take over after Ryota. He told me he was going to be your right hand, just like you became Ryota's. He was a good kid, and a good soldier."_

The soldier visibly fought back tears as he struggled to maintain a calm demeanor for Ghost's sake. Ghost was moved despite himself.

"_We all went to the morgue when things got stable around here. We wanted to see what happened to our brothers. The people who were the fist of the Institute's forces and the men who stood up to that demon. I saw my brother…fucking…guts ripped out…looked like he was still scared out of his mind."_

Horror threatened to twist Ghost's mind again, but at watching a tear slide from the soldier's face, anger washed the terror away. Hatred and rage began to boil inside of him. That bitch would die…for all those who fell.

"_They tried to kick us all out, but there was too many of us. They just let us stay there and look at the bodies of Ghost Squad. All of us in that room, I know we were all thinking the same thing. They died because they were the best of us and showed courage to their last breaths against something they couldn't stop. We all decided that was what made them ghosts, because the brave are ready to die. They were walking ghosts, just waiting to be sent to heaven, or hell."_

Ghost knew that it wasn't true. They died simply because they happened to be in Angel's way and there was no way out of the hallway. He wasn't about to tell that to the soldier however.

"_We all of us took a vow right there in that morgue, over the dead bodies of those men we once fought beside, loved, respected, and admired. We've given up the ghost for the sacrifice of The Martyred, and only vengeance can bring us back to life. We decided to wear the insignia to honor those fallen men. I hope you don't find it presumptuous…sir."_

Ghost had looked at him, stunned, while he worked it out in his mind. It was later that he realized "The Martyred" was the name those men were calling those that died to Angel's hand. Ghost understood. They needed a purpose to rally around that was more than simply following orders, and they needed a symbol to hold onto when their world became dark and uncertain, as it was now. Ghost realized that it wasn't simply the dead men who had become that symbol, but it was Ghost himself who those men looked on to be the symbol that led them against the horror they feared.

Purpose and righteousness filled him as his gaze had traveled across the gathered soldiers.

"_You men all have the right to wear the symbol. We are survivors of a wretched attack by a terrible foe. A foe we have been fighting for years without number. But those fucks only won a battle. WE will win the war against them and all of their kind. I asked…The Martyred…to take their oaths for me once. An oath of discipline and also of faith which I would not ask of all. Discipline to work together and follow orders like the professional warriors you are…and faith to believe that what you do is for the good of all. The Martyred died for that faith; they left a job unfinished. Who will stand with me to finish this and put their souls to rest?"_

There had been a deafening shout from every man in the room. Ghost tried to hide his smile. He hadn't imagined it would be so easy, but he supposed all men had to deal with their demons in different ways. Ghost intended to deal with his by blowing its brains out.

"_Yet she's all the way on the other side of town," _the voice in Ghost's mind said, mocking him.

_They'll never take her down. We'll meet again. The Beast is ours. We can be patient until then. _

Ghost stepped away from a tree he had been reclining upon as he listened to the soft clicking sounds of weapons being checked, and loaded. He walked alone slowly towards the school until he began to step under one of the light posts. He was far enough away from his men that all he could hear was silence and the wind. Snow blanketed him as he stared stoically at the building…looking for…something.

"_They're in there. Your other quarry."_

"How do you know that?" Ghost said aloud.

"_Trust your instincts."_

Could they have been so stupid as to come to the high school? Why would they be there? The answer came to him almost as soon as he asked it of himself. There could be no other reason. They were there for the same things Ghost had been sent out for. What did they plan to do with the research data? Did they know about Red Sky? Didn't matter, it wasn't his job to ponder questions like that.

"Sir!" came a voice from behind him. It was the soldier from the briefing room, who had later identified himself as Corporal Ishii.

"Sir," he said again as he reached him, "we shouldn't be exposed like…"

"They're inside the building."

"Sir?"

"Get on the horn, I want helicopter air support here within the hour. Tell them we've got contacts in Kamakura High."

"Sir, our scout team hasn't even finished sweeping the area yet, and none of them have been inside, how can you be so sure?"

"Faith…corporal," Ghost turned his head slightly to look at Ishii, "remember? Get it done."

"At once."

Ghost gripped his pistol tightly once more, and began to walk towards the school, moving away from the front door and heading to the athletic fields.

"Sergeant! Where are you going? Let me get some men together to go with…"

"Corporal Ishii, take command. Get me my chopper, and start forming two strike teams. I want one going in the maintenance doorway, and the other kicking down the front door. Break the squads up once they're inside so they can cover the whole school. No one gets out."

Ghost walked faster so he could drown out Ishii's protests. He didn't want anyone going with him.

He would do this alone.

* * *

><p>Bando crept along the wall, his gun at the ready, as he approached the front door of the school. He willed himself to step lightly, each footstep seeming to echo far too loudly in the quiet hallway. As he reached the door, he slowly edged to the window to look outside. Surveying the scene, he could see nothing. He should have felt more comfortable with the sight, but he wasn't. Something was nagging at his instincts. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something just didn't feel right.<p>

_What am I doing here? They wouldn't come at us from the front door. _

Police would charge in the front door, but Bando wasn't expecting police. Any soldiers of the Institute would have probably come in the way him and his group had come in. Even if that were the case, Nana was in that direction. Bando didn't think anything would be getting past her. However there was an entire section of the school which wasn't being covered, from which anything could come at them and the girls would never know it until it was too late. He seemed so sure that this was going to happen. That any minute they would be under attack. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

He left the front door and began walking further in the direction he had been going. The gymnasium was in that direction, as well as the entrance to the athletics field. As he walked, his mind kept going over what he thought he had seen. It had only been a glimpse, and it was dark and far off besides but he saw what looked like two small green lights which vanished quickly behind a large snowdrift. The light would have been the size of tiny light bulbs, the kind typically found in electronic equipment. The position of the lights to one another had reminded Bando of the sort of night vision equipment that S.A.T scouts were outfitted with. He himself had used such equipment on numerous occasions. If it was a scout, then it didn't appear to have noticed Bando and the rest of the group. If the scout had indeed seen them, they would have been under attack long ago. And that was if what he had seen was a scout at all. Bando still wasn't sure he didn't just imagine it. He reached the gymnasium door and hesitated before opening it, listening at the door first to ensure there wasn't any sort of movement coming from inside. Upon hearing nothing, he began to slowly open it.

The inside of the gymnasium was a vast area brightly illuminated by moonlight that shined through various windows near the ceiling. The smell of leather and stale sweat assaulted his senses as he entered the room. His steps seemed louder in the large room as his boots squeaked softly on the floor. The sound of the increasing wind was more audible here, occasionally shaking the glass of the windows which caused an eerie, echoing sound, occasionally drowning out Bando's footsteps. As he walked, he lowered his weapon, surveying the room. It seemed quiet. Too qui…

"Never let down your guard," came a voice from beside him.

It happened in a flash. A shadowy figure slammed into him, expertly disarming him and throwing him to the floor. Bando rolled out of the way as the figure tried to stomp on his face and caught the man's leg as he tried to kick at him. Bando grabbed the man's shirt with his other hand and tried to force him to the ground, but his attacker slapped his hands on either side of Bando's ears, making him recoil in pain. Bando recovered quickly and threw a punch which connected solidly upon the attacker's jaw.

As they separated, Bando fumbled for his gun before remembering stupidly that he had just been disarmed. His quick scan of the floor around him did not reveal its whereabouts. Anger seethed in him as he tried to get a look at the man who had just attacked him.

"Getting sloppy Bando. As expected."

"Who the fuck…" Bando had been about to ask him to identify himself. But he recognized the voice.

As the man stepped into the light, Bando fully recognized the man before him. Fury seized him as the smirking face of Ghost became illuminated by the moonlight. Why was he here? As the question occurred to him, he realized with a stab of panic that he wouldn't have come alone.

"About two years now we've been looking for you Bando," Ghost said, walking in a slow arc around Bando, "you have no idea how happy I am to see you."

Bando reached in his coat for the radio and Ghost charged forward, likely thinking Bando was going for a weapon. He had the device out and the button pressed before Ghost could reach him.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Bando screamed as Ghost grabbed Bando's forearm and punched Bando in the stomach. With the wind knocked out of him, he couldn't stop Ghost from twisting the arm behind him and removing the radio from Bando's hand. Bando readjusted himself, put a leg behind one of Ghosts, and threw his head back to smash it into Ghost's nose, causing him to lose his balance, and his grip, and fall to the floor. They separated once again, satisfaction filling Bando as he saw Ghost wipe blood from his nose.

"Always were a tricky motherfucker Bando," Ghost said, standing back up, "who were you talking to?"

Bando glared at Ghost without answering. Ghost looked at the radio, smirked, and dropped it to the floor, crushing it under his boot.

"Doesn't matter, whoever it was is going to get caught by my men and brought to me. I'll know who you were talking with soon enough. I don't really care about any of that right now anyway. It's just you and me motherfucker. I've been DYING for a chance at your neck."

"Right back at you, you piece of shit. I owe you for Mayu."

"The girl? You know, after I got her in an interrogation room all alone, I think I started to understand what you saw in her. Such a sweet girl…"

"You motherfucker!"

Bando, seething with rage, threw himself at Ghost. They met in a whirlwind of fists and tangled limbs as each one used every ounce of training they had received to get the advantage. Ghost threw a feint and tried to drive his knee into Bando's middle, but Bando saw the attack coming and twisted his body out of the way, throwing a fist into Ghost's side at the ribs. The attack didn't throw Ghost off for long as he easily ducked out of the way of Bando's next attack, charging into Bando's middle to lift him up, and slam him onto the ground. As Bando hit the ground he saw Ghost draw a combat knife.

"I'm going to spill your fucking guts all over this gym bitch."

Bando threw his leg up and kicked Ghost hard in the groin, causing him to fall to his knees instinctively and guard his crotch with his hands. Bando rolled away and quickly got back to his feet, charging Ghost who swung his knife ineffectually. Bando grabbed his knife hand so that the blade was pointing away from him, and threw an elbow into Ghost's nose, hoping to cause him to drop the knife. Ghost held on, and kicked one of Bando's legs at the knee, making him stumble, then threw his own elbow into Bando's face. The blow was powerful and staggering. Bando flew back in pain, but recovered quickly enough to counter Ghost's next knife swing, catching the arm, and punching his wrist hard enough to cause Ghost to cry out sharply in pain, and drop the knife, which Bando quickly kicked away. Ghost shoved him back and looked around quickly for the knife. When he couldn't find it, he turned his attention back towards Bando.

"That's fine," Ghost sneered, "I don't need a knife to tear you apart."

"Shut the fuck up and fight," Bando said, launching himself at Ghost again. He was going to pay. Bando was going to make him die screaming.

* * *

><p>Mayu tried to keep her focus as she surveyed the hallways, but her nerves were rattled. She wondered if she was starting to develop the instincts that Bando clearly seemed to have. She knew something was wrong. She had seen it in his eyes as he walked off to patrol the grounds.<p>

"Mayu, are you alright," came the soft voice of Nana beside her. Mayu turned towards her and tried to offer a reassuring smile, but couldn't make her lips obey.

"As much as I'm going to be," she replied, "I've got a lot on my mind, and breaking into our school isn't helping me sort any of it out."

"I know what you mean. It's like even though we're in the same world, it's all different."

"It's more than just that," Mayu said, leaning against the wall and holding her pistol loosely in both hands, "I can't stop thinking about Kouta, Yuka, and Lucy. They must be so worried about us."

"Yeah," Nana said sadly, "I miss them too."

Anger flared in Nana's eyes briefly, "the whole time we've been here, I can't stop thinking about how unfair this all is. All I've ever wanted to do was live peacefully. I know Lucy feels the same way, especially now. But these people…they won't let us. I almost wish they would show up here…ever since that man hurt me in the cell…"

Nana turned away, "all I can think about is revenge."

Nana's arms closed around herself, and she leaned against the wall, "I'll never be able to keep my promise. I've already broken it anyway. Papa would be so ashamed of me."

So much misery in her voice. For so long now, Mayu had been hearing it. She wished she knew what she could say to Nana, to let her know that there was nothing wrong with the way she felt. Mayu understood vengeance; sometimes she still wanted to…

"Nana, there's something I want to tell you about me."

Nana turned to look at Mayu, a questioning look in her eyes. Mayu realized for the first time that she wouldn't have to mentally prepare herself to talk about this. The memories were losing their power to hurt her.

"The reason I ran away from home…I know I never really told you why. My mother…after my father left…she remarried to this bastard. He used to…,"

Even now, Mayu still hesitated at the moment of telling, the memories may have been losing their power, but they were far from powerless. She took a breath and continued.

"He used to rape me at night, after my mother fell asleep, or if she was working late. Really anytime she was not around."

"Oh Mayu…"

"I've been dreaming about killing him for years. Sometimes, I also dreamed about killing my mother too for taking his side. I'd like to think my own father would have wanted better for me than that. Or at least that's what I tell myself…I never did know him."

Nana stared at Mayu with the beginnings of tears in her eyes. Mayu looked away. She was afraid if she saw Nana crying, that she would as well. She couldn't afford to do that now.

"The thought of so much hate in my heart. It sometimes bothered me. Made me feel like maybe I was becoming a bad person, but I don't think that's true anymore. It isn't my fault he did those things to me and made me hate him. It's not your fault that Ghost hurt you the way he did and made you want to hurt him back. Those things, they aren't a real part of who we are. They're things that are put there by awful people, but you don't have to let them change you. I think your father would have understood. You're still the same Nana to me."

She turned back to Nana, who did not seem to be crying anymore if she had been. There was instead a warm smile on her face.

"Thank you Mayu. You always know just what to say," Nana paused, "I'm so sorry that…"

"Don't," Mayu said quickly, "it's alright. I'm alright," she didn't want sympathy anymore. It always made her feel like she was supposed to be sad, and she didn't want to be sad.

"Ok," Nana said, "changing the subject, how much longer do you think…"

"Ssshh!" Mayu said sharply, "what was that?"

She had heard something, she knew it. Sounded like…

"What is it Mayu?"

All was silent. Mayu stepped away from the wall and gripped her pistol tightly in one hand.

"I thought I heard glass breaking…"

Mayu heard a door slam from the hallway behind them, and the sound of running footsteps. Arakawa. Moving quickly. Something was very wrong. Arakawa burst out of the hallway and frantically looked around. She was carrying a full gym bag.

"Where's Bando?" she asked in a near panic.

"He went looking around the school," Mayu said, her own panic beginning to rise, "what's going on?"

"We have to get out of here now! They're here!"

"What?"

It was then that Mayu heard the sounds of shattering glass once again from far off. Shortly after, she heard a door being broken open very close to them. The distant sounds of booted feet and rattling equipment began approaching quickly. They could hear voices now, harsh speech ordering soldiers to take point and cover others as they approached. Before the three of them could get their bearings, they could see the first squad coming at them from farther down the hall.

"Fuck!" Arakawa exclaimed, pulling back the slide of her pistol.

"There they are!" shouted a voice down the hallway.

"Let's move! We can't fight them. We've got to get the hell out of here!" Arakawa screamed. She pointed her gun down the hallway and fired three shots, causing the soldiers to take cover. The three of them turned and ran down the hallway as gunfire chased them. Mayu's fear threatened to take over but the adrenaline kicked in and she ordered her legs to obey as she kept her head down.

"Just run!" Nana yelled out, "they won't get past my vectors! As long as we keep ahead of them!"

Rounding the corner they broke into a full run. They were cut off from the entrance they had gotten in from. There weren't too many other ways out of the school except from the athletics field, which they were closest to. Mayu said as much to Arakawa as they ran.

"Alright, then that's what we do."

"What about Bando?" Mayu screamed.

"We can't worry about that now. We get out of here first. Bando can take care of himself, he'll find us."

An explosion rocked the hallway as a wall was completely blown away from another hall tangent to the one they had been running down. A second squad came out of nowhere with guns firing, muzzle flashes lighting up the hallways around them and casting ragged, sharp shadows all around. Mayu and Arakawa pointed their guns down the hallway. Mayu looked once at Arakawa who gave her a look that seemed to say "this is the last stand". It was then that Nana deliberately stood in front of them, a look of grim determination in her eyes as she walked past them, blocking the soldiers' path to them.

"Nana!" Mayu screamed.

"Get out of here! Right now!" Nana said with a dark edge creeping into her voice, "I'll slow them down."

"No Nana, you can't do this!" Mayu said desperately.

"You're wasting time!" Nana turned to look over her shoulder and for the first time, Mayu saw the wildness in Nana's eyes. The same wildness she once saw in Lucy's, "I don't want you to see what I'm going to do to these bastards. NOW GO!"

Nana and Arakawa were suddenly lifted into the air by an unseen force and thrown down the hallway. Landing roughly, they rolled for a few feet before coming to a stop. Arakawa was first on her feet and had to grab Mayu to keep her from running back after Nana.

"NO! NO! I CAN'T LEAVE HER!"

"Goddamn it Mayu, did she just do that for nothing? MOVE YOUR ASS!"

Gunfire and explosions ripped the walls and classrooms apart where they had left Nana. The screams of men could suddenly be heard throughout the savage din. She saw a man violently launched into the wall from the other hallway. There was a smear of blood left on the wall where his skull had impacted it. A few men slipped through whatever was happening to look down the hall towards them but ran for cover as Mayu and Arakawa fired a few shots down the hallway. Arakawa once again had to grab hold of Mayu to keep her from running back down the hallway. Fear for Nana, and rage at the soldiers was washing away her terror, but also her reason. Suddenly she wanted to fight. She wanted a gun with endless bullets. She wanted to tear at those men who had come violently into their lives and were trying to destroy them. She wanted vengeance in a way she never felt it before in her life. It made her teeth gnash and anguished screams tear from her as they ran in the opposite direction, running for their lives.

It wasn't long before yet another squad found them and they had to frantically change direction numerous times as gunfire screamed all around them, tearing everything apart. Occasionally as they ran, they fired behind them, trying to force their pursuers into cover so they could get ahead of them. Only anger kept Mayu from collapsing in fear from the shouting of gunfire. As they ran, Mayu recognized their surrounds. They were getting close to the athletics field. The fastest way would be through the gymnasium. It would leave them without much cover but if they could reach the door on the other side, they could lose their pursuers in the surrounding trees, and the city streets beyond.

A flash bang grenade went off near them and sent them both crashing to the floor disoriented. Arakawa, still stunned, stood shakily up and grabbed the back of Mayu's jacket, lifting her up and shoving the gym bag in her hand.

"Just run Mayu! RUN!"

Arakawa shoved Mayu forward and fear propelled her, clutching the bag tightly. She chanced a glance behind her and saw Arakawa firing her gun wildly down the hallway. She had to be nearly out of bullets. When she ran out, they would have her. Mayu finally began to cry as she ran. How could it all have gone so wrong so quickly? She didn't even know why she was still holding onto the bag. Without Arakawa, their plans were pointless. There was nothing she could do…just like there was nothing she could have done for Nana. They had sacrificed themselves so that she could get away. Mayu wept bitterly at knowing she was not worth their sacrifice.

* * *

><p>Blood splattered the floor as Bando slammed his fist into Ghost's face again.<p>

They continued their rage filled struggle even as Bando could hear gunfire from inside the school, knowing that the others were in danger. The distraction was beginning to show as Ghost got back inside Bando's defenses once again to land a powerful counterattack, driving Bando back.

"They're probably already dead!" Ghost yelled out, taunting him as he spat blood out of his mouth.

"If so, I'm going to make sure you don't live to enjoy it fucker!"

"Then bring it the fuck on! COME ON!"

He rushed at Ghost once more, feinting once, then twice, going through Ghost's defenses as his fist connected with Ghost's face. Ghost's counterattack came with speed which Bando couldn't remember Ghost having been previously capable of. It occurred to him then that Ghost had recovered from his injuries at the Institute rather quickly. Bando realized he must have been enhanced in cybernetics the moment that Ghost fluidly cut through Bando's defenses and landed a series of blows which brought Bando to his knees. Ghost spun around and threw his leg out, kicking Bando hard in the face and sent him sprawling backwards. He coughed up blood as Ghost walked to stand over him.

"I was always better Bando. Now you know it too."

"Fuck…you…Ghost."

"I think I'll execute you in front of my men. A moment like this…it would be selfish for me to keep it for myself."

Bando could hear the sound of a helicopter from outside, and the gym lit up in a blinding flash of artificial light from the helicopter's search beam. Bando spat at Ghost.

"You better kill me now Ghost. I'll kill you if you slip up for just one second."

"Not going to happen. You're beaten, and my men will have finished off your little friends by now."

Bando let go and let his head rest against the floor. He had been hearing the gunshots the entire fight. His concern for Mayu, Nana, and Arakawa had gotten the best of him, made him sloppy. He cursed himself for not keeping his head in the fight. He had allowed Ghost to get into his head, distracting him. He hoped at least some of them had gotten away. Or that they were at least not dead. He heard the door to the gym open roughly.

"That will be my men now," Ghost said with a smile, turning around.

"The fuck?" he heard Ghost exclaim.

Lifting his head he saw Mayu standing there, horror stricken with wide eyes. Mayu!

"Mayu! Run!" Bando yelled out.

* * *

><p>"<em>Get out of here. Right now."<em>

No.

"_Just run Mayu! RUN!"_

Not this time.

"Mayu! Run!"

Not ever again.

Ghost was standing over Bando. The man who had so savagely hurt Nana, and herself. He was now standing over Bando and was obviously going to kill him. The rage she felt, the anguish that tore through her, and the sight before her crashed together in a violent storm that Mayu could hold back no longer.

"NOOOOOO!" she screamed, lifting her gun and aiming it at Ghost.

He twitched in surprise as though he were going to take cover but it was too late. Mayu opened fire again and again, bullet after bullet slamming into Ghost's chest. Her gun went dry the moment Ghost fell roughly to the floor. He did not get back up.

Mayu dropped the pistol and ran to Bando, taking his bloody face in her hands as he sat up with effort.

"Oh my god, Bando! Are you ok?"

She didn't wait for him to answer, and kissed him roughly on the lips. He recoiled in pain.

"Ow! Fucker busted my lip…"

"I'm sorry!"

"Never mind that," Bando said standing up, "where's Nana and Akane?"

"They…"

She turned around quickly as she heard the sounds of shouting, and approaching soldiers. Tears welled up in Mayu's eyes.

"We've got to get out of here." Bando said, pulling her along as he walked backwards.

"But…"

"If they're still alive Mayu, we'll find them. We can't do anything for them if we die here. Let's get the fuck out of here."

They ran to the exit door and barreled out into the freezing cold air and heavy snowfall. They crossed the fields quickly and into a small patch of trees where they slowed down somewhat to a walk. Mayu finally gave in to her tears and cried.

"I just left them there Bando…I…"

He stopped and took Mayu's face in his hands.

"Listen to me. There was nothing you could have done for them. That bastard probably brought nearly the rest of the Institute's forces here. Frankly, it's a miracle you got away."

"But I could have…"

"Died! That's what you would have done!"

Mayu cried harder as Bando took her in his arms.

"It's alright Mayu. It's over. We're out of there."

"It's not over," she said bitterly, "not until they're safe."

"Alright Mayu, I'm with you, I am. But we have to get our shit together, come up with a plan."

Mayu couldn't stop crying. She just left them behind…she could have…

"Mayu…" Bando said in a strained voice, "I…um…"

Mayu looked at him, collecting herself slowly. She had to be stronger than this, but it was so hard. Frustration and anger sliced through her.

"You really saved my ass back there."

As she looked at Bando, she realized that he was uncomfortable. She also realized that he wasn't accustomed to being saved, by anyone. Most especially her. Mayu smiled despite herself, the anger melting slowly away.

"Just returning the favor. I don't like to be indebted to anyone," she said, teasing Bando with the words he once said to her.

He smiled back at her, "you're turning into a tough chick you know that?"

"Must be the company I'm keeping."

"We'll get them back Mayu. And if we can't, we'll at least get some goddamn payback. Come on, let's move."

They ran off silently into the night, vanishing among the trees and the dark.

* * *

><p>"Sir…sir! Are you alright?"<p>

It was like waking up from death.

Pain screamed in Ghost's chest from where that girl's bullets struck his bullet proof vest. 9mm from the feel of it. If the caliber had been any heavier than that, Ghost was sure he'd be on his way to a hospital room again, if he didn't just outright die from internal injuries. He wanted to tear the heads off of the men who had allowed the young girl to escape. How in the shit did she manage to get past his entire squad?

"_She had help."_

_Fuck them. Fuck them all. I had him. I had him right where I wanted him, and he fucking slipped away. AGAIN!_

He opened his eyes to look upon the masked figures of his squad. One of the men extended his hand to help Ghost get roughly to his feet. Ghost stumbled slightly as he shook himself back to full consciousness. The gymnasium was full of his men who had set up a defensive ring around him and had both exits covered. It was a bustle of activity with a din of radio chatter and shouted orders.

"Sir, do you need a medic?"

"The fuck are you talking about?" Ghost said irritably, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the floor, "I'm fine. Report."

"We had them boxed in soon after we entered the building, but they had Silpelit number 7 with them. She stayed behind and gave our men a shitload of hell. Most of our forces wound up being concentrated to take her down."

"And DID you take her down?"

"Yes sir, we incapacitated her and attached the vector nullifier. She's over there under guard."

The soldier pointed to a corner of the gymnasium where number seven was being held. She was unconscious with blood flowing from her nose and mouth, four soldiers surrounding her in a semicircle with their guns trained upon her.

"There were two more contacts," the soldier continued, "a teenage girl, and a woman who fit the profile of Akane Arakawa. Institute records has her listed as dead. Obviously there was some sort of mix up. Team six ambushed the two of them with flash bangs, but we were only able to capture Arakawa who kept the team pinned down for about a minute with whatever ammo she had left in her pistol. Once she ran out, they moved in and took her."

"Where is she now?"

"Loaded in one of the transports."

Well, so he wasn't able to get Bando. At least they recaptured number 7, which had been their original goal before any of this had gotten started. They also now had Arakawa…who was supposed to be dead. He very much wanted to have a conversation with that one regarding what exactly they were doing here. Looking over to where number seven lay, he felt a savage sort of anticipation at having her back. The idea of having another chance alone with her was simply delightful.

"_Stay away from the diclonius."_

_Fuck that, you have no idea how much I want a piece of…_

"_Stay away from her you stupid motherfucker."_

_Why the fuck should I?_

"_Faith…remember?" _the voice mocked, with his own words. He wanted to defy it, which was just silly, he knew. After all, it was his own voice. It hadn't steered him wrong yet. Perhaps these were his instincts given voice. Reigning in his anger, he resolved to trust those instincts. Number seven would go to the Institute's scientists. He was sure a few weeks in their care would make that monster beg for death. Besides, he had a job to do. At the moment, Arakawa was a much more interesting prisoner.

"Alright, get number seven in a transport and let's move out. I want teams two, three, and five to stay behind and clear out Professor Kakuzawa's laboratory. Radio the chopper and tell them to keep searching the grounds for Bando and the girl that escaped. I'll head back with the prisoners and report directly to Commander Ryota."

Ghost looked around the room and raised his voice, "You should all be proud! We took down one of those fuckin monsters! We're one step closer to our vengeance!"

There was a chorus of cheers and shouts. Looking over at number seven, he saw that she was awake and trembling at the sounds of revelry. As she should be.

Ghost started walking out of the room, a small squad of men immediately taking position on either side of him, guarding their leader. He let his anger at Bando's escape slide away for the moment. This was, after all, a victory.

Besides, they would meet again. Ghost was absolutely sure of it


	24. Lost

**AN: ****Fixed a slight continuity error pointed out by The Curious Reader**. **3-15-2012**

* * *

><p>Kouta buried his hands deeper in his coat pockets against the cold and shivered slightly before wandering along the sidewalk.<p>

He had been out walking for a couple of hours now, well past the setting of the sun. He had spent much of that time searching Mayu's old haunts from when she was still a runaway, and after having exhausted those options, visited the police station again. Even though the officer who had showed up at their door told them that they would call the instant they had any information, it didn't stop Kouta from at least going up there. He knew Nana and Mayu were still in the city. Shortly after that officer had come to their door, he had come back saying he had seen a small child fitting Mayu's description, just down the walkway to the Maple Inn. She was that close…why didn't she try to come back? Why would she run away? Was she in some kind of trouble? That last was a silly question; simply by being out there in the city alone she was in trouble.

After departing from the police station, Kouta had set to wandering about the city. Before he had left Maple Inn, Lucy had implored Kouta to let her come with him, but he had refused. If that policeman had seen only Mayu, and not Nana, then Kouta couldn't assume that they were still together. He imagined Lucy could find Nana easily enough, given the time, and Kouta did not simply want to follow Lucy while she found Nana. As fruitless as he knew his own search was, it made him feel like he was contributing somewhat. And who knew? Perhaps he would run across her after all. It was the hope that kept him out as late as he was.

Another car sped by at that moment with a freezing gust of wind following it. The cold air sliced through Kouta's jacket and he shivered again. That was the other reason he wasn't ready to give up yet. If he was cold, than so weren't Nana and Mayu. He hoped they were ok.

He swayed on his feet somewhat and realized that he had been walking nonstop without rest for hours. He decided to take a break for a few minutes and cast around for someplace to sit. Seeing a nearby bench covered with a blanket of snow, he headed for it. With one hand, he swept away the snow and sat down, drawing his breath in with a hiss as the residual snow on the seat bit through his pants with sharp cold. Once he leaned back, he realized just how exhausted he really had been, as his legs throbbed with ache and he found he was trying to catch his breath somewhat. The knot in his stomach was ordering him to get up and keep looking, but Kouta tried his best to ignore it. He needed a break, or he was going to collapse on the sidewalk.

He sat still, absently staring in the direction of a flickering streetlight across the road. The weak glow was occasionally obscured with snow as it fell heavily. As his gaze trailed off to houses beyond the street, he saw the warm signs of life as silhouettes behind the blinds. He imagined that in those houses lived happy families who would never know worry, and would never have cause to fear for one another's safety. He allowed himself a few moments of selfish jealousy, wishing to trade places with one of those distant shadows, if only for a day. Perhaps if he were someone else, he would be more able to protect his own family. Wandering in the dark, he felt hopelessly inadequate. He began mulling over, yet again, why Nana and Mayu might have run away.

His fists tightened in anxiety. He kept using the phrase "run away" in his mind because he did not want to consider the other, and possibly more likely, scenario; kidnapping. But then that wouldn't exactly explain Mayu turning up a few feet from his front door. It was then that he thought of Mayu's nature, and how she always hated to be a burden. She knew well enough by now that the rest of them didn't consider her a burden on the household, and Mayu did enough to earn her keep, so it couldn't be that. Mayu had grown up much since he had first met her, and Kouta didn't see her just running away for childish reasons such as those born of her previous low self esteem. So what sort of trouble did she fear to bring upon Kouta, Yuka, and Lucy?

There seemed to be only one answer, The Institute, but Kouta had no idea how Mayu could possibly be involved in anything involving that shadowy organization. Unless of course they had come after Nana and Mayu happened to be caught in the crossfire. Kouta felt so stupid for not considering it before. There had simply been a general assumption that no one was looking for Nana anymore. When he thought about it, he recalled that they never really spoke about that possibility when Nana was around. Perhaps they all were just hoping beyond hope that it was over, and the Institute was no longer hunting; wishful thinking. It still didn't make sense however. If Mayu was running away to keep them from some type of trouble, why even come back home in the first place, only to run away again as soon as she reached the front door?

He couldn't make sense of it, and stood up absently to pace around in thought. So absorbed was he in his own thoughts, that he accidentally bumped into someone who had been walking by when he stood up. The abrupt collision unbalanced the other man, who took three wobbly steps back.

"I'm sorry sir, I should pay more attention…"

"Nothing…it's nothing. Don't…it's fine," the man said absently, seeming not to know which words he had wanted to use. The tone of his voice was distant and hollow. It brought Kouta to more closely focus on the man he had bumped into.

The stranger stared blankly ahead through a pair of expensive looking eyeglasses. His short, black hair was somewhat disheveled but the appearance of it looked deliberate, or perhaps was intended to look deliberate, as now the snow and the wind gave it a true appearance of being unruly. His clothes, which consisted of a suit, and a heavy long coat, did not look entirely suited for the cold of the night. Kouta noticed the man's ungloved hands were trembling absently. Looking the strange man in the eyes, Kouta felt a gut instinct deep inside that told him the man's trembling hands were not from the cold.

The man began walking forward again, not really looking where he was going. His walk was more of a shuffle.

"Wait, sir," Kouta said without thinking, "are you alright?"

The man's eyes focused then upon Kouta, a strange look in his eye.

"I'm just fine…never felt so alive."

He tried to walk past Kouta, who raised his hand to block the man's way.

"You're not fine, you weren't watching out for yourself either. I was just resting here for a bit. It looks like you could use a sit down too."

"I can't…"

"I insist," Kouta didn't really know why he was being so pushy with the man, a stranger. He had a feeling that the man was in some sort of mental distress, and he felt compelled to do something.

Taking the man's forearm with one hand and motioning to the bench with the other, the stranger allowed himself to be led over to it, Kouta sweeping the bench clean of snow as they neared it. The stranger collapsed roughly onto the bench and leaned back, taking shuddering breaths as he stared into the inky black sky. Across the road, the flickering streetlight abruptly faded into a constant, yet dim light, as one of the bulbs began to fail. The orange light gently bathed their area of the street, though not quite as brightly as it had previously done. Kouta heard the man sigh next to him as he reached up and removed the glasses from his face. He began absently scratching at a few dark flakes that were on the lens.

Kouta considered the man. He was very well dressed for this part of town, and for that matter, too well dressed to be walking instead of driving something ridiculously expensive. He wondered if he had been in a car accident but the man didn't appear to be wounded, just dazed…or in shock. Then again, Kouta knew that not all car accidents necessarily came with injuries that prevented someone from walking away from it.

"Really, are you ok?" Kouta asked again, "did you wreck your car or something?"

He saw the man's eyes sharpen somewhat as he appeared to be considering his answer.

"I got a ride down here, but the tires went flat. Phone broke so I couldn't call anyone."

Kouta knew there was more to it than that. The man's trembling hands bore down to scratch off one particular stubborn dark flake and popped the lens out of his glasses.

"Let me get that…" Kouta said, reaching down to pick up the lens.

Suddenly, rage twisted the man's face as he violently tore his eyeglasses apart in his hands, standing up abruptly and throwing them across the street.

"FUCK!" he screamed, then raked his hands through his hair.

"Hey," Kouta said, approaching him cautiously, "come on, sit back down…it's alright." Kouta didn't know what he was saying, but he felt this man needed to be told things were alright.

"Not it's not," said the man, but sat down at Kouta's urging. This man had seen something he did not want to see. Kouta could feel that as surely as the air was cold.

"What's your name?" Kouta asked, deciding to move the conversation away from whatever was agitating the man, "I'm Kouta."

"What makes you think I care what your name is kid?"

"Well are we just going to call each other 'man' and 'kid'? Might as well exchange names if we're going to have a conversation. Sounds less silly that way."

"And what makes you think we're going to have a conversation? Just because I'm getting off my feet for a while doesn't mean anything just because you happened to be sitting here too."

"We're having a conversation now, and you could have walked away."

"I could still walk away."

"But you won't," Kouta said boldly. The man turned his head to the side slightly to regard Kouta with one eye.

"Do tell me why?"

"Because nothing makes sense to you right now, and you need someone to help you sort it out," it was a gamble, Kouta knew, but he felt confident it would hit the mark.

The man turned his head even more to regard Kouta more closely, but said nothing. Kouta recognized the look in his eyes. He had a long time to get used to that look after Kanae and his father died, whenever he stared into the mirror. The man huffed in what might have been amusement, then turned his gaze back to the sky.

"Erich," he said simply, "name's Erich."

"Good to meet you Erich."

He laughed then, a bitter sound, "you really mean that huh?"

"What?"

"That it's good to meet me. I've forgotten what it sounds like coming from a person who isn't a sycophantic liar. Bless the ignorance of strangers."

"You've got a funny accent," Kouta said, "can't quite place it."

"I was born in Italy, but I lived all over. I've got kind of an amalgamation of accents."

"You in Japan on business, or vacation?"

"You ask a lot of questions. I'd advise against it. You might get an answer you weren't expecting to get, and I can't promise you like it."

So it appeared his "accident" and his reason for being in Japan were off limits as conversation topics. Kouta wasn't sure he liked the picture this was painting of Erich, but reserved judgment. Whoever he was, and whatever he did, he was in a state of trauma and Kouta couldn't turn his back on that.

"Well, you ask some questions then."

"Why? In a few minutes I'm going to get back on my feet, start walking down that sidewalk, and never see you again."

"There's a good question, "why". Well just because something will eventually be pointless, doesn't mean it's pointless right now."

"That's ridiculous logic."

"I don't know, is it? Everything's 'pointless' in the end, but that's assuming that the point of anything needs to be at the end. The point of life isn't to die, for example. It's to live, don't you think?"

Erich laughed again and leaned over, bracing his forearms on his knees as he stared at the ground.

"Alright," he said, "I think I do have a question."

He turned his head to Kouta, "what are you doing out here so late?"

Kouta sighed, the knot in his stomach returning. The question reminded him that he really ought to have resumed his search by now, but he had lost track of time.

"I'm looking for some people…well, one in particular," Kouta amended as he fished in his pocket for the pictures of Nana and Mayu. He then remembered that he only had Mayu's picture, Nana's being in Lucy's possession. He took out the picture and held it up to Erich.

"Her name is Mayu. She's my adopted sister. The papers read legal guardian, but that sounds too sterile and makes me sound like I'm her father, which would be a bit odd considering she'll be sixteen in a month or so."

Kouta held out the picture for Erich to examine, and he took it from his hand. Kouta watched him as he appeared to stare for too long at the photo.

"Haven't…seen her. Sorry," Erich said in a voice that sounded choked.

"It's ok…" Kouta reached to take the photo back.

"How important is…Mayu…to you? You love her like family right? That's not just lip service?"

"I'm out here in the freezing cold aren't I?" Kouta said, his voice slightly rough with anger. He tried to force it back.

"What if someone forced you to make a choice," he said cryptically, "to scar for life the person you loved so that they would live, or watch them die?"

"What? What kind of question is that?"

"You wanted to have this conversation, well we're having it. Can't back out now just because you don't like where it's going. Or maybe that's exactly what you should do."

Kouta tried to get a grip on himself, he knew that the question wasn't meant to be a taunting one. Erich was asking him seriously, and that worried him. He closed his eyes and thought about Kanae. If he could have saved her by doing her some grievous wrong, would he have? In a way, he had indeed done her wrong by letting his last words to her be awful things. It was a moment of pain immortalized that he could never take back. Betrayal towards a loved one could leave them in a state worse than death, and poison the life that was saved.

"I think if someone was forcing me to make a choice, then I never had one to begin with. It would be bad enough sitting by while someone I loved was taken from me, but to participate? I could never."

"You wouldn't do whatever you had to do?"

"I wouldn't want someone to be forced to make that decision for my sake. I would rather die."

"So you would rather let your loved one be murdered?"

"I would rather not play the game."

"And if you had no choice?"

"Everyone has a choice."

Erich sighed as he turned back towards the street, offering the picture to Kouta, who took it and placed the photo protectively in his pocket.

"You're still a kid," Erich said, "you don't understand…"

"I understand death," Kouta said abruptly, "I've watched loved ones die."

Erich clasped his hands together and cast his gaze around the area.

"You have too…haven't you?" Kouta dared. He didn't know how he knew that, but somehow, he did. It was in his eyes, his voice. And between the lines of his cryptic question.

At this, Erich seemed perplexed as he considered Kouta's words, though he seemed oddly at ease. Kouta felt a tension bleeding out from the man as he spoke to him, a complete stranger. Kouta wondered if Erich had ever been able or allowed to talk with a person this way.

"I don't know how to answer that," said Erich, "I know what death looks like, just as you do. Whether or not I loved anyone, I simply cannot say. I'm not sure it even exists the way people tend to think it does."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone feels affection for one another from time to time. I simply think the idea of love has been so built up into the social fabric of mankind that some people place too much significance on what is otherwise rather commonplace affection."

"So you don't believe in love?"

"I believe, that it is a belief. And a dangerous one sometimes. People do terrible things for love. Or the idea of it anyway."

"There are also wonderful things done for it."

"Not enough of them…"

The conversation seemed surreal to Kouta. He had not really expected to be having a conversation about love and death on a dark road with a complete stranger, but then he really hadn't been sure what he expected. He rather pitied Erich, who seemed to be bled of passion in addition to being badly traumatized. Despite his sullen, pessimistic, and adversarial manner, Kouta found himself taking a liking to the strange, forlorn man. Speaking with him was strangely liberating.

Erich suddenly trembled in a short, violent fit from the cold. Kouta knew that Erich couldn't stay outside like he was, or he would get sick.

"Look, you're going to collapse from cold if you stay out here much longer. Let me take you to my home to get you some soup, and you can get out of the snow for a bit. It's not far from here."

"I can't…I have to…"

"We have a phone at the house, if you need to call someone you can do it there."

"No," Erich said, perhaps too quickly, "I…can't."

He froze and flicked his eyes towards Kouta.

"It's too late to bother anyone. I can get to where I'm going on my own."

Kouta pretended he did not notice Erich's sudden outburst.

"Come on," Kouta said warmly, "you don't have to stay long, but give yourself a break from this cold."

Erich seemed to ponder it for a few moments, taking a slow look around for something that Kouta knew not what.

"Maybe you're right," Erich said, still searching the shadows around them, "I think I'd like to get off the streets for a while."

Kouta stood up as Erich did, feeling the soreness in his legs flare up as he did so. As he began to walk, he thought about what Yuka might say when he got home, another stranger on his heels. She would probably be upset with him, but she also would not have wanted someone wandering cold, dark streets all night if she could do something about it. Kouta sighed, disappointed in himself that he had been unable to find Mayu. He knew he ought to cut himself some slack on that, realizing that he wasn't likely to do alone, what the Kamakura police hadn't even done yet. He hoped Lucy was having better luck than he had.

At least he would be doing some good tonight in any case.

* * *

><p>Lucy picked a new direction for what seemed like the tenth time that evening, and started walking.<p>

Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked quietly down side streets and dark alleys, following the faint traces of what she knew to be the signal of a Diclonius mind. The tugging sensation at the corner of her consciousness was reassuring, as Lucy knew it could only be Nana. It meant two things; she was still in the city, and she was still alive. She had briefly wondered at first if it was Angel she was sensing, but she knew the psychic flavor of Nana's mind from Angel's, if only because the former was more familiar to her. There were traces of panic that came sharp, like a flickering light in the distance set against a dark sky, almost blinding to witness in the sudden flare of emotion. The urgency put an edge on Lucy's temper as she stalked through the dark, almost daring the eyes she felt watching her to step from the shadows and enter physical forms she could unleash her growing anger and frustration upon.

She stopped walking for a moment and breathed deeply in and out. She had to get a hold of herself. She wasn't this person, and she wasn't going to go looking for a fight.

"Lost, girl?"

Except it looked like a fight was going to find her anyway.

Lucy sighed and took a few steps toward a weak light that hung over a back door to a tall brick structure. It wouldn't dissuade someone from attacking her, she knew, but at least it would allow her to better see whoever was coming.

"Hold on girl," the voice in the dark implored, "we just want to help," that last bit followed with a chuckle. Lucy heard footsteps quicken past her to block her way forward on the other side of that faint light. Fools, they thought she had been trying to run.

As the forms of three men appeared in the light, Lucy felt the old disgust rush through her and she ruthlessly fought back the urge to tear them limb from limb right in that instant. It was difficult for Lucy to remember that men such as these were not the defining characteristic of humanity. She had known something better, and more noble than these creatures would ever aspire to be. Why did there seem to be so much more of these men, than those like Kouta?

"Cold out here," one of the men said, "you cold?"

"As ice," Lucy said in a chilling whisper. They had not commented on the sight of her horns, which was likely a testament to their single minded focus. She had largely picked the dark alleys so as not to run into people who would notice the physical anomaly that visually separated her, from other humans. And if she had run into those people, the dark would have largely obscured the horns from sight.

"Well, so are we. Maybe we can help each other yeah?" one of the men rubbed his palms together absently while another grabbed his belt with one hand.

"Not looking for trouble…I'm out looking for a friend," Lucy tried, knowing it wouldn't work.

"We're not looking for trouble either. Don't give us any, there won't be none."

"You're making a mistake," Lucy warned.

"We're not the ones walked in a dark alley all alone. Thinking maybe the mistake ain't ours."

They closed in on her and Lucy spread her vectors. As much as she wanted to kill these men, she wouldn't. She knew she didn't have to and Kouta would not wish for more blood to be on her hands. It didn't mean, of course, that they were going to just walk away from their foolishness unscathed. Maybe she'd make sure they never walked again.

"No," came a raspy, sepulchral voice from somewhere in the dark, "she's right. You've made a mistake."

The men whirled around to the sound of the voice, knives appearing in their hands.

"The fuck's that out there? You want some too?" one of them said, recognizing the sound as another woman's voice. Lucy went rigid with anxiety, she knew that voice. It was Angel…

She strode calmly into the light, dressed differently than Lucy had last seen her. She now wore what looked like black leather pants and combat boots, her top a white, long sleeved, button up shirt which looked of expensive quality. Her hair, which tumbled around her with the appearance of falling rain, partly obscured her face, but not enough to completely hide it. Angel's horns were more prominent than Lucy's by far, and she saw some of the men taking notice, realizing that Lucy also possessed them. Angel acted as though she did not see the men, her eyes being only for Lucy. Angel raised her arms up to her sides as though on display, and spun around once, slowly.

"Do you like it?" she asked Lucy, "it's been too long since I've been allowed to choose what I wore. Or since I've been allowed to wear anything at all."

Angel's presence was overpowering, causing Lucy to almost completely forget the presence of the other men. How could she not have felt Angel coming? Unless her own growing rage at her would be assailants masked Angel's approach. Lucy couldn't help but stare; Angel was strikingly beautiful. She dimly knew that the others in the alley were under much the same spell, but they were nothing. The moment Angel had entered the alley, they had ceased to exist.

"I do," Lucy said truthfully, "how did you get the clothes?"

"I stole them of course. Being the Institute's slave pays like shit you know," she said with a grin.

"Aren't you cold?" Lucy asked. The clothes were of excellent quality, but were utterly unfit for the winter night.

"As ice…" Angel said, her smile growing wider, an edge appearing within it.

"Alright," said one of the men. Lucy had twitched in surprise at the sound, having forgotten they were there, "guess we lucked out. Two's better than one right?" he laughed as he said it, his mind once again at ease in believing they had the advantage. The knot of anxiety once again turned in Lucy's stomach. She had not planned on killing them, but Angel…

"_You enjoyed the killing…didn't you?"_

"_Yes…oh god yes…I liked the way a death rattle sounded like a lover purring in your ear…if you get close enough."_

"No," Angel said to them, "I'm all you'll ever need."

"Angel! Don't!"

"Take me boys…I want this so bad…"

They approached Angel in a fast walk, brushing past Lucy. It happened almost too fast for Lucy to see. As the first man reached her, his head jerked back suddenly as if he had been punched. As Lucy's mind caught up with her senses, she realized that he had indeed been punched. The other two took a few steps back as the first staggered about. When he turned around, Lucy saw that the man's face was drenched in blood from his nose…or at least where his nose used to be. It was concave now as if shoved into his skull, and the man's eyes were rolled into the back of his head. He toppled over, cracking his skull on the pavement as it smacked the ground. Angel calmly walked to the corpse, turning it on its back, and slowly straddled it, staring into his dead eyes.

"Do you think," Angel said, "that they know their lives will end this way…living as they do? What does one throw away when they live to take from others?"

"Fucking bitch!" one of the men screamed, running at Angel and slashing with his knife. Angel shot to her feet with only her leg strength, stepping away from the swing of the knife and rushing inside the man's guard. She grabbed the wrist which held the knife and forced it straight out, while grabbing his other wrist and twisting it behind his back, pulling the man close to her. He struggled with all his might, but could not overpower Angel. Lucy watched in strange fascination as she saw Angel's vectors flexing like phantom muscles through the flesh of her arms and legs. It reminded her somewhat of how Nana used her own vectors to move her synthetic arms and legs, but this was different. It was as though Angel had made her vectors a part of her body.

"You know what I think?" Angel said, turning towards Lucy who was keeping an eye on the third man who did not seem to know what to do, "I think they want it. No one is ever so honest with themselves to admit what they really want of life, or of people."

Angel turned to her captive.

"You wanted to fuck me…right?"

"NO!" he screamed, "it…it wasn't like that!"

Angel rested her head against the other man's forehead. Her captive seemed to relax somewhat, though fear and anxiety twisted his facial features.

"I believe you," Angel whispered, "it's not sex you're after, or money, or anything. You aren't in this for pleasure…not really."

"Angel!" Lucy cried out, "don't do it! Don't kill them! You don't have to do this!"

"It's death," Angel said, ignoring Lucy, "you throw your life away, everything about it that matters, so that you have it in you to take from others. You take and take and take. Possessions, virtue, innocence, even life itself. There's a hole in you…and you're always trying to fill it with the lives of other people."

"Please!" the man pleaded, "you're right…you're right! I'm fucked up…I need help!"

"And I'm helping you…"

The man screamed as Angel tightened her hand which held his knife arm. Lucy heard the bones snap and the knife fell uselessly from his hand. The third man started running at that moment, but Lucy saw a vector fly out from Angel to grab hold of him, slamming him against a wall and knocking him senseless.

"Deep down, you want to die. You forfeit your own lives in order to be capable of taking whatever you want of other people. You're already dead, and you're suffering from your never ending want. You know that there are no happy endings for a life like yours, but you don't care. You're seeking death, an end to your pitiful existence. You just lack clarity to know it, lack the courage to ask."

"Nooo! Nooo!"

"I hear the words you're really speaking, I know the desires you truly harbor. You wanted me to 'satisfy' you…"

Angel took a quick step back, and threw a lightening fast punch into the man's throat, crushing his windpipe. Frozen in shock, Lucy could only watch as the man dropped to his knees, clutching his throat and trying desperately to draw breath. He fell against Angel who slowly ran her fingers through the dying man's hair.

"…I hope you're satisfied."

After a few more moments, the man's struggles ceased, and he slumped over onto the concrete, dead. Silence settled over the scene like a shroud as the snow quietly fell around them. Angel stood perfectly still, her eyes searching every feature of the man she had just killed. Lucy exhaled loudly, remembering at that moment she had been holding her breath the entire time. This had been something more than murder, and she knew Angel's words had not truly been for the dead man. Angel had been speaking to Lucy, trying to make a point, of which she knew not what. She was damn sure going to find out.

"What the hell? Why did you do that? We're stronger than them, we don't have to kill people!"

"Those words don't sound quite right coming out of your mouth," Angel said without looking up, "they sound like someone else's words. I want to hear your words. What you feel."

"Those ARE my words!"

"No," she said, slowly shaking her head, "you just want to believe them. Your protests lack conviction."

Angel looked up towards the unconscious form of the remaining man. She began to slowly walk towards him. Lucy ordered her legs to obey, and took a few strides to block Angel's path.

"You've done enough Angel, stop this!"

Angel smiled slowly and stopped moving, looking deeply into Lucy's eyes.

"I was watching you as they came from the dark. I could see your fingers trembling with excitement. I could hear anticipation in your voice. No fear as you spoke…just…barely restrained want. I could feel it inside and all around me. What would you have done if I had not come?"

"I'd have handled them, without killing them."

"But what state would you have left them in before you were satisfied? How close to the line would you come…wanting to slake that never dying thirst of slaughter, but sustaining yourself with only a taste?"

"I…" she hesitated, knowing in her heart of hearts that she would have broken and savaged them. What real moral difference was there from torturing a person, and killing them? As Lucy thought about it, she imagined the former was more terrible than the latter. Anyone might be pushed to killing another person, but to torture them required a darkness of the soul that Lucy had imagined was gone from her, or at least diminished. Was she still this terrible person? Was Kouta the only thing keeping her from becoming the monster she once was?

"You're hiding your true face," Angel said, somewhat sympathetically, "something is holding you back, preventing you from being who and what you are."

"No," Lucy said, steadying her gaze and meeting Angel's piercing one, "I'm not like these men. There is no hole in my heart, not anymore. I don't need to keep destroying lives…I don't want to anymore."

"You're lying to yourself Lucy."

"These men, they don't care about their lives. They don't care about life at all. I do. It's hard to let go of my past, but he showed me a better future than the one I was heading for. His love changed everything for me…"

"You're talking about that man…Kouta?"

"Yes," Lucy whispered breathlessly and with pride. She still wished to prove herself to Kouta, even though she knew he did not require it from her. She had made a vow to herself that she would make him proud of her, but she despaired at the scene before her. She could have stopped Angel…why had she not stopped her?

"Is he worth this shallow life you lead?"

"My life is NOT shallow," Lucy said, anger creeping into her voice.

"I do not mean to insult you Lucy," Angel said apologetically, "I merely mean to say that I can see the conflict in you…I can feel distress radiating from you. You want your new life to be the right one for you because this man has made you feel that it's right, but your true self is still there deep inside of you, screaming to get out. 'Lucy' may be the person you've always wanted to be, but that old self...the one who bears your old name...your true name...is the person you really are."

"Kaede is dead," Lucy said, answering Angel's question she had asked of her back at the Institute. The admission was more of a reflex, born from the force of her rejection of that name, and everything that had come with it, "all she knew how to do was destroy."

"She also knew how to tell the truth, which is more than I can say for 'Lucy'."

"You're wrong," Lucy said sadly, remembering the time she had spent with Kouta as a child. If only she had been honest with her true feelings sooner, would things have been different?

Angel took a few steps towards Lucy, who began to raise her guard. Whoever Lucy had once been, she was resolute in her convictions now. The instinct of a desperate, heartbroken, hate soiled girl was not the real Lucy. Kouta made her see the truth of that. She would make Angel find her own truth, one way or another.

"You aren't killing this man Angel. That's final. You want him? You go through me."

"You would die for such a creature?"

"What the hell makes you think I'M the one who's going to die?"

Angel began to laugh but suddenly froze as she looked again into Lucy's eyes. The mirth drained out of her as though it had never existed and curiosity took its place. The knot in Lucy's stomach twisted into something painful as she awaited Angel's next move.

"No conflict," Angel said in silent wonder, "just like that…it's gone…"

"Kouta saved me Angel. He loves me despite everything I've done, everything I am, and everything I was. He made me see I was something more than a killer. HE sees the real me…all you see is the ghost of my past."

Lucy expected a quick reply, but received only silence. That alone stunned her. There was a scuffling sound behind Lucy as the third man regained consciousness and stood back up on shaky legs. Lucy dared a few slashing glances to the side, not wishing to take her attention completely off of Angel. Lucy could see the knowledge of where he was, and what was happening, reenter his mind. Terror began to creep back into his eyes. Lucy noticed Angel turning her gaze back to him and she readied herself to defend a man who did not deserve it.

"You," Angel said suddenly, causing the man to snap to sudden attention, "this was just a bad dream…got it?"

"Y…yes…yes I got it!"

"Good. Fuck off."

In a stumbling panic, the man scrambled out of the alley, too winded and frightened even to scream. Before long, the sounds of his frantic running faded into silence. Lucy once again found herself shocked into silence. She had expected a fight.

"Why did you…" Lucy began.

"For you Lucy. Just this once."

Angel regarded Lucy with intense scrutiny. It was like the last time, when she sensed Angel was trying to come to some decision about her. Now, as then, Lucy got the impression that Angel hadn't quite made up her mind yet.

"So close," Angel whispered, seemingly to herself, "I felt it when we first met. Something you found out in the world that changed you…made you different from so many others. So close…felt the answer so close I could taste it."

"I told you what it was that changed me."

"Kouta…the belief that you love him."

"I DO love him."

"No," Angel said, shaking her head and stepping closer to Lucy, "it's an idea he represents that you believe in. You mistake it for love. There is no such thing. All those I have known who professed 'love' for other creatures did so because of other ideas attached to those people. Normalcy, success, ego gratification…a second chance," that last said with a knowing smile.

"But those are the common things," Angel continued, "and they're not enough to give a person that…something…you possess, but I cannot quite name. I felt I was so close to seeing it…to naming it."

Angel slowly approached Lucy until she was within inches, eyes locked upon hers. Somewhere in the fathomless depths of Angel's gaze, Lucy could feel a desperate need. She wasn't sure if that need was to have her question answered, or if it was for Lucy herself. The way Angel looked at her, she swore it was the latter.

"You don't have to keep filling that void with death Angel. It's not all there is. You're seeking death too…just like them…just like I did."

Another silence stretched out after Lucy spoke those words, interrupted occasionally with the distant sounds of cars passing by the street. After a few moments, a gust of wind swept its way through the alley and made Lucy shiver. She then felt Angel reach her arms around Lucy, and slide her hands up and across Lucy's back, warming her. The firm caress sent shivers of pleasure down Lucy's spine.

"So close," Angel whispered, "but I can't…"

Lucy began to step back, but was caught by surprise as Angel gripped her by the waist with strong hands. She pulled Lucy close, pressing Lucy's lips upon her own. Lucy initially attempted to struggle, but Angel held her still with great strength, and brushed her lips against Lucy's in such a practiced, teasing fashion, that Lucy felt sorely tempted to reciprocate. It reminded her of that moment Angel had kissed her in the Institute. The memory shocked Lucy out of her daze and she leaned her head back.

"Angel, stop."

"Why? You want this, all of your instincts are pulling you towards me."

"I am more than my instincts Angel."

"None of us are anything more than that."

"Then why me Angel? Why do I matter? And don't tell me it's because we're both Diclonius, because we both know that isn't the reason."

"You're lost Lucy. I can show you where the path is…"

"You aren't answering my question Angel, you're running from it. Why are you running from it? Why me?"

Angel broke from Lucy and took a few steps away, casting her gaze upon one of the corpses as she reached it. When Angel turned around, Lucy could see frustrated deliberation upon her face. It was gone as suddenly as Lucy had noticed it, Angel's expression reverting to a neutral state, carefully watching Lucy.

"I don't know," Angel said finally, "and that intrigues me. Perhaps when you are finally free from those things which hold you back, I will have a better answer for you."

They stared at one another for the space of a few heartbeats, the flickering light casting Angel's features in shadow each time the sputtering bulb failed. Angel was searching for something, that much Lucy understood now. Why would Angel think she could find it in her? Why was she searching in the first place? What was it that she was really looking for?

"What happened to you before they took you Angel?" Lucy asked abruptly. Angel only stared, a faint smile stretching across her face.

"Who did you destroy, that you so regret destroying?"

"_I thought we were friends!"_

"_We were friends…that's why I didn't kill you…"_

Lucy's breath caught, and she suddenly couldn't speak.

"That's what I thought," Angel said, a bitter, mocking tone in her voice.

Lucy's thoughts were suddenly interrupted with a mental shock as Nana's psychic signal cast itself out in great force. Lucy's eyes closed as emotions of rage and fear flooded the signal, but it pinpointed an exact location. Lucy knew it, or at least knew a landmark in that general direction; Kamakura High School. Triumph filled Lucy at having a real destination to head towards, and not only that, but it seemed close.

"Angel! I've found her! We've got to…"

Lucy opened her eyes and looked over towards where Angel had been standing, but she was gone.


	25. A Leap of Faith

Arakawa woke up to the feeling of pain in her upper arms.

As her eyes slowly adjusted to the faint light in the room, she took stock of her senses one by one. The first was pain, which had woken her. She could tell she was hanging by her arms against a cold wall, the surface feeling course, like brick. She was confused by the sensation, expecting the familiar chill of cold steel walls common to Institute holding areas. She suddenly became aware of a shortness of breath and jerkily set her feet to stand as best she could so the position she was in wouldn't suffocate her. She couldn't have been hanging there long in an unconscious state or she would surely have asphyxiated before waking. The next sensation she took stock of was the chill in the room. It felt similar to the air outside. Arakawa tried her best to focus her vision, very much wanting to know where exactly she was. It couldn't be the Institute, which was curious. She had expected that that was where she would be taken. She had frankly been hoping for it.

She couldn't remember exactly when she had been knocked out, but it had been sometime during her transport from the high school. She hoped Mayu had been able to escape, and hoped even more that she had managed to run into Bando. Arakawa had not been able to buy much time, her gun being nearly empty when she had shoved the bag into Mayu's arms and ordered her to run. If she could be honest with herself, those few seconds she stood her ground and fired round after round had been cathartic, after having been so helpless before the Institute and its revolting administrator for so long.

The feeling had been short lived however, as the gun ran dry after less than a minute. She had half expected to be shot there and then, but evidently the men she had been firing at were professionals who were trained to assess combat situations and respond with appropriate force. They knew she was out of ammo, and they knew she had no chance of fighting back otherwise. They took her down quickly, and as roughly as she had expected them to, though beyond that, they were mercifully professional in their treatment of her. She had been expecting at the very least to be beaten or abused for shooting at them. There was a somber note to their professionalism and in the words they spoke. Their orders to one another sounded like ritual, their succinct replies like prayers. Their funereal manner chilled her more than the threat of violence.

"Doctor Akane Arakawa," came a smug voice from somewhere beyond the range of her vision, obscured by darkness where the single light in the cold room couldn't reach, "as I live and breathe."

"I'd rather you did neither, whoever you are," she said in as confident a tone as she could manage considering her position, which she knew was designed to intimidate and cow her. It was largely working, but she couldn't let her audience know that. It was a hard lesson she had learned while underneath Director Kakuzawa. She hated how cold it was in the room; it caused her to visibly shiver.

"Now doctor, there's no need for that. I'm merely expressing my gratitude at your miraculous recovery. There's not many who get to come back from the dead."

Arakawa's vision cleared and she could see more or less where she was, or at least what the room was. It was a basement, empty of everything except a water heater in the distance and a cluster of generators with wires that ran up the single flight of stairs in the basement, to rooms above. She recognized them from the Institute's technological R&D department. They were sterile looking contraptions that ran quietly, save for a hum and the quiet hiss of air being vented from exhaust ports. Arakawa knew them to operate in a similar fashion to power plants, using volatile elements inserted by way of a fuel cell to react with components within, the ensuing reaction generating power. The process was more efficient than petroleum powered generators and tended to last longer, but it was still experimental technology, and highly dangerous besides. What were things like that doing outside of the Institute? WHY weren't they at the Institute?

"Where are we?" she asked groggily, still collecting herself, "why aren't we at the Institute?"

The man stepped into the light, crossing his arms as he did so, regarding Arakawa. He wasn't anyone she was familiar with, but he had a strange look about him. His build was stocky, and he stood only a little taller than she did. His build was strange to her because it looked like it didn't quite fit his shape entirely. Cybernetic enhancements, Arakawa reasoned, recognizing the peculiar body type as typical of soldiers who had gone through the procedures. Then there was his hair, which was quite peculiar. It was a platinum white, cut short with uneven strands that just barely hung over his eyes. Bleached, she figured. She supposed he was the sort who enjoyed cutting a striking figure, or simply had a flair for the dramatic, considering the way he had opened up the conversation. He did not possess the somber air that the other soldiers did, and Arakawa knew that while they had been relatively gentle with her, this man would most certainly not be. The look of anticipation in his eyes promised pain.

"Why not?" the man said, "not like it will matter much to you in the end anyway. You're right, we're not at the Institute, though I rather wish we were. I feel out of my element in this shithole, but I'm sure I'll get over that. We're in a nondescript building somewhere in the city, nothing about it in particular that would draw attention or visitors. The commander's got local law enforcement making sure we don't get any trespassers."

The commander…Ryota…

"Where…is he?" Arakawa asked, hoping that her grogginess would make the question sound like passing curiosity, "here?"

"No," the man said curtly, "he's not on the field, I am. This is my show."

The man walked over to Arakawa, raising a hand to her face. She spat at him, and his hand stopped. A slow smile spread across his lips as he leaned down towards Arakawa, and spat directly into her face. Anger surged through her as he raised his hand again, rubbing his thumb on some of the spit upon her cheek, and used it to wipe at something on her chin.

"Bit of blood on you sweetheart. Just cleaning it off."

"Why? Does it bother you to see what you bastards really are when you torture people?"

"Doesn't bother me personally. I'm not the one who hit you…I just didn't want there to be any blood on you that wasn't shed by me."

The horror of his statement silenced her, and she could only stare in open shock. Even Kakuzawa had operated under the pretense of there being a purpose behind his actions. This man had no such pretensions. He was quite happy with being a sadist. She mentally shook herself; it was just a scare tactic. He was trying to scare her and this was all just exposition to the ensuing interrogation. She got control of herself, and met his smug gaze.

"As for _why_ we're not at the Institute…well," he stepped away from her as though to get a better look at his prisoner, removing his fingerless gloves and letting them drop to the floor, "I'm afraid even I don't know. Orders you see. For whatever reason, they wanted our HQ changed to someplace out here in this piece of shit city. I guess they figured our 'guests' have caused quite enough damage to be bringing them back home to start another clusterfuck."

Arakawa tried not to let the panic show in her face. She had partly been counting on being taken to the Institute. While she had been gathering materials in the high school laboratory, she realized that some of the machinery she had needed would have been quite impossible to remove. She had instead used much of her time down there using that machinery to synthesize the first part of the counter-virus. Along with that half of the agent, there had been other things she had removed which were critical to finishing the compound.

Mayu now had everything she had removed and Arakawa hoped like hell that she hadn't lost it. What Arakawa did not have, was a pure sample of the vector virus. Those were still in cold storage in labs located within the island facility, as well as the materials she would have needed to synthesize the other part of the counter-agent. Arakawa had not been sure exactly how she would have been able to escape her bonds, find the materials, make the compound, and escape with it, but it was at least a slim hope in the absence of there being any chance of her escape at the high school. She realized now that she could have simply thrown Mayu to the soldiers to slow them down, and she would have been free to continue the work that was so vital. The thought repulsed her however, and she hadn't considered it for a moment during their frantic flight through the school. She wasn't like those other bastards. She didn't believe for a second that 'The Greater Good', which the Institute scientists and administrators preached like gospel, could be achieved with heartless inhumanity.

She thought for a moment about what the white haired man had said. It was obvious that they still wanted the hunt to go quietly, and that it was still going on besides, or else they would most certainly have been brought back to the facility no matter what. It told her two very important things: there were still Diclonius loose in the city, which likely numbered Lucy, and one other that Arakawa learned about while listening to the various conversation and radio chatter from her captors. Evidently that other unnamed Diclonius, Number 5, was their top priority. Considering how much trouble Lucy had given Kakuzawa, Arakawa would have imagined her to be a more important target. Arakawa didn't hold out much hope for Nana, who had bravely sacrificed herself to help them escape. She had not seen a glimpse of Nana while she was being taken to a transport vehicle, and she saw no reason why the soldiers would have shown Nana any mercy. She was probably dead. Sadness pricked at her heart as the thought crossed her mind, as well as guilt.

The other thing their continued secrecy told her, was that JSDF was very likely not established in Kamakura yet, which meant she still had time. As long as those two rouge Diclonius were smart enough not to get caught by the forces now hunting them, she perhaps had as long as a week before Kamakura was locked down by the combined forces of the Institute, and JSDF.

However…she kept running across the same obstacle: escape.

"Well," the man spoke up again, "I was nice enough to answer some of your questions. Now perhaps you'll return the favor. Do that, and all we have here is a nice little conversation, and perhaps you'll get a break from your current sleeping arrangements," he said with a chuckle, "but if you don't…well…something tells me you can likely figure out for yourself what happens next."

Arakawa felt an urge build up in her to cry, as she often did while at Kakuzawa's mercy, or his lack thereof to be exact. As the tears threatened to drop, she looked into the smug, arrogant gaze of the man and suddenly she was just tired of it. She was damn sick and tired of being afraid of what people were going to do to her. Tired of being a victim. Sick and tired of being forced to beg for mercy and GODDAMN tired of that fucker's stupid…fucking…smile.

"I can," Arakawa said meekly.

"Good," he replied, and drew breath to say something more, but Arakawa cut across him.

"I get to find out how dickless you are and see just what it looks like when a grown man throws a temper tantrum."

Anger twisted his face and he took a few quick steps towards Arakawa, his fists clenching.

"You bi…"

"What? 'You bitch'? Was that what you were about to say? I bet that uninspired mantra just rolls right off your fucking tongue from practice doesn't it? Fuck you, you piece of shit."

"You are BEGGING for it bitch…"

"You're right, I am. I think I'd rather you beat the shit out of me than be forced to listen to you talk for another second. Just do me a favor, don't talk while you're doing it."

He reared his fist back to strike her.

"What's your name?" she asked quickly, seething anger in her voice. No more. Never again would she let these cowardly men terrify her.

The man hesitated, seemingly puzzled by the timing of the question. He nodded his head, breathing heavily, showing his gritted teeth in a snarl.

"Alright you cunt, you want to know my name? It's Ghost…make sure to…"

"Thanks for that," she said, interrupting him again, "I was planning on calling you all sorts of ugly things and I wanted to make sure you knew I was talking about you in case I use a word with more than two syllables and confuse you. Stupid fuck."

With renewed anger, he reared back and slammed a fist in her stomach, sending pain crashing through her, then she felt a second blow strike her in the nose. She tasted blood immediately and judging by the excruciating pain she then felt, she knew Ghost had broken her nose. She screamed in agony, unable to help herself, but she felt no shame this time. She remembered how she had felt, holding the gun and fighting back against impossible odds. She remembered even knowing that she was helpless before their might, that they could not stop her from fighting back. She had not been victimized this night, she had been merely defeated. She appreciated the difference as never before.

Ghost laughed as he backhanded her hard in the face, causing another wave of pain, particularly from her broken nose.

"Yeah, that's how it always turns out. Tough talk at first, screaming and crying at the end."

"Sounds like your sex life."

Her words earned her a staggering blow to the side of her head which caused her to nearly blink out of consciousness. She quickly regained her composure, even though agony screamed through her. She glared at Ghost, hating him, and letting the anger burn away her fear. She was fighting now, as she had in that hallway. She thought of Ryota then…even though he technically led these men who did such terrible things, she knew he would never approve of this. She felt a warmth at the thought of the man, and wondered if he would be proud of her for standing up to Ghost. Somehow, that was important to her.

"I'm sorry," she choked out.

"That's better…but it won't…"

"No," she said, yet again interrupting him. She made sure to do that because it seemed to enrage him beyond reason. He was a man who obviously loved to hear himself talk, "I'm sorry I assumed you had a sex life at all."

Another blow, this one into her ribs. She heard them crack and she drew breath to scream, but the pain didn't allow her to make any noise. Her face twisted in agony until she finally let out a ragged cry.

"Enough of this shit," Ghost barked, "what the fuck were you all doing in that high school?"

Arakawa stood on her feet as best she could and looked him in the eyes, "night classes."

Another blow struck her face, and her left eye suddenly went dark. She screamed.

"My men saw you carry a bag out of there, what did you take?"

She desperately searched her memory for something to concentrate on, rather than the pain. Almost as soon as she had begun, she found herself thinking of Ryota's warm voice and his passionate manner. She realized she wanted to see him again more than anything…and at that moment realized that deep down, it was the true reason she had wanted to be captured. There had been the possibility that they would have taken her to him. Everything else was peripheral, though no less important.

"Office supplies, I was out of staples."

Ghost grabbed a fistful of her hair and slammed her head against the brick. The course material cut a gash in her head and she felt blood running down her neck, warm and wet. She struggled to hold onto her anger, and her thoughts of Ryota. They were her guardians, her source of strength. She ruthlessly fought back the urge to break and start crying.

"I can do this all night bitch, in fact…I'd love nothing more."

"Go ahead you piece of trash. Why don't you kill me? I think I'd rather die than live to see the result of the giant fuck up that you're all about to make."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She had to at least try and convince him, but she didn't have to be gracious about it. In fact, she rather preferred not to.

"I know about Red Sky, I know what you idiots are going to do after you finish failing horribly at cleaning up your Diclonius problem out in the city."

Ghost's eyebrows flicked up slightly in surprise. She had not been meant to see it. She laughed at the small victory.

"And just what the hell do YOU know about Red Sky?"

At this, Arakawa burst out in true laughter, unable to stop herself even though the act of laughing made her broken ribs hurt.

"God you're so fucking stupid, I don't know how you remember to breathe everyday."

Every vile word, every expletive, every insult felt like another bullet down the hallway. Her entire world was nothing but pain, but a savage pride thrilled through her at every new instance of defiance. She concentrated on an image of Ryota's stormy gray eyes. She thought of his solemn, age weathered, yet beautiful face. What she would have given to have heard Ryota say those beautiful words to her in person, and not over her makeshift radio.

"_Please live Akane…I could not bear for a soul as bright as yours to wink out this way. If fate is kind, perhaps I can look upon you when your eyes aren't filled with sadness, fear, or regret."_

_Ryota, I wish I could have met you sooner. I wish I could tell you how you woke my heart from sleep. I want to wake you too…I know I could. Please…I just want one chance…let me see you again one more time…_

Perhaps it had been the shock of feeling affection for another person, and she was caught up in the unfamiliarity of it, but she knew it was more than that. She felt like she would do anything for another chance to see him again.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Ghost grabbed her throat, "answer the question right now, or I swear I'll paint this wall with your blood until you can't see the wall for it."

"I FUCKING BUILT IT YOU MORON!"

He roughly shoved her into the wall and took a step back, studying her.

"Bullshit," he said in a wary tone, looking at her with curiosity.

"Your precious 'doomsday event' weapon is my design. I worked with the engineers to develop the delivery system. I advanced the theory that it's based on, and I personally engineered the virus itself. No one tells you shit do they errand boy? If you'd been briefed for even two minutes on me, you'd have known that."

"Then you know why it's NOT a mistake to deploy it, unless you're a sympathizer to those monsters."

"Listen you idiot, when I was escaping the facility, I ran into Director Kakuzawa. He was sabotaging the weapon. He replaced the Phase 1 compound with something else."

Ghost chuckled, "is that right?"

"Yes that's right!" Arakawa yelled in frustration, "he replaced it with the vector DNA compound I extracted at his request, and he set it to function the same way that Red Sky's viral compound would, so that it would spread along the cloud line and react to Phase 2. You idiots are going to fire that and SPREAD the virus to the whole city!"

"So you're telling me you found a way to turn the vector strain into a compound that you can spread?"

"That HE wanted to spread, and you're all about to do his dirty work for him, postmortem."

Ghost smiled, then laughed and clapped his hands together twice, "that, was quite a fun story."

"What?"

"You were harboring Silpilit number 7, and on the night of your escape, the men that survived the slaughter at the executive landing reported seeing you together with Lucy. Do you really expect me to believe you're worried that Red Sky won't kill Diclonius, but create them instead? From where I'm standing, you're in league with the monsters."

Arakawa could only stare, her astonishment temporarily making her forget about her pain.

"I may not have been briefed on you, a woman who was supposed to be dead, but I WAS briefed on Professor Kakuzawa. He evidently had an unnatural fixation on locating the vector strain…and you worked directly under him. You want to know what I think?"

"Not really, which is something I'm sure you hear a lot when you ask people that."

The smug look was back on his face. Arakawa wasn't likely to anger him now that he felt he had "figured" her out. She coughed and tasted blood…probably just as well he was in this mood. She needed a break from the torment. She knew the reprieve wouldn't last, because she wouldn't let it. No matter what came of this interrogation, she was not going to let him feel for an instant that he had broken her.

"I think," he continued, ignoring her, "that your little story is reversed. I think you were taking materials out of that school lab to cook up that vector strain that you and the professor were working on. I think you're lying about the sabotage. I think you would have me believe this bullshit story so that I'll put a word in to the commander and have him cancel preparation for the launch. Maybe so your monster cohorts can make a break for it."

"You know, I have to give you credit where it's due. Even I couldn't have come up with a more ridiculous story if I had tried. How does any of that make sense in your goddamn brain? Think! What do you think Director Kakuzawa was doing there when he was killed?"

"Well, he had just escaped his jailors and his corpse was found at the executive landing. My money's on 'escape' as his reason for being there."

"I was instrumental in building a weapon designed to destroy Diclonius…did you forget that? Why would I want to infect others with the vector strain?"

"Let me answer your question, with a question. How do you suppose the administration would have taken it if you simply outright told them you wished to build a massive viral delivery system for the express purpose of spreading the vector strain, which runs contrary to the very reason for the Institute's existence? Pretty sure they would have fed you to the wolves, so you'd have been a massive idiot for laying out your true intentions. You know, now that you bring up Kakuzawa's whereabouts that night, tell me this. What were YOU doing at the landing?"

"I wanted to put a bullet in Kakuzawa's brain," she said honestly, and vehemently.

"Or maybe YOU were trying to sabotage the delivery system. I'm guessing the only reason you're still running around stealing from laboratories is because my men never gave you the chance. Well sorry bitch, but the game's over."

She had known it would be useless, but she still felt deflated with her failure to convince Ghost of the truth. She saw Ghost's smile widen and knew he was mistaking her sudden dejection for waning resolve.

"Well," Ghost said, "I'm sure that even though you and that Diclonius freak got yourselves captured, that there is a plan B to all of this. Bando would at least have come up with that, being an Institute trained soldier, even if he is second rate. You're going to tell me what that plan is."

He was talking about Nana…captured…not killed. She was alive! Feeling renewed by the knowledge, she gathered herself up to look at him as best she could with a black eye and blood running over the other one. The reprieve had been nice while it lasted…but now it had to end. She was taking an awful risk with what she was about to do. She hoped with everything in her that it would work. She allowed herself to gather every last ounce of her strength, knowing she would need it.

"_It's a sin that a person like yourself has been so chained down. I wonder what you would have been without those chains?"_

His words to her that night.

_Ryota, maybe I can't show you what I could have been, but I can show you what I will be. They have me bound but I am not in chains. They want to break me but I feel no shame. Give me strength Ryota…will it upon me…I need it…I need you._

She muttered under her breath, feeling blood drain out of her mouth from where it had pooled.

"What was that?" Ghost said, taking a step closer…

Gritting her teeth, she threw her leg with all her strength into his groin, connecting solidly and causing him to drop to his knees. She grabbed the handcuffs that were holding her arms up and held onto them as she lifted both legs and kicked Ghost in the face with both feet, knocking him over. When he got back onto his feet, she saw blood dripping from his nose, and a feral look of rage in his eyes.

"That's plan B you motherfucker! You're pathetic! Maybe the next time you go under the knife for enhancements, you can ask the doctor to get you a pair of balls. I sure as hell didn't feel any down there."

"We're…going…to rip…you…apart!"

We?

She didn't have time to contemplate the strange outburst as Ghost was on her in a second. The only thing on her mind after that, was remembering to breathe in between her blood curdling screams.

From far away, Nana could hear Akane's horrifying screams.

She drew herself further into the corner of the room that was her makeshift cell, trembling with fear and worry. She had been so sure that her combat with the Institute soldiers would have drawn all of their forces away from the others. It had been a sobering revelation to realize just how many men had been thrown against them. There had been enough to take her down, and more remaining to pursue Akane and Mayu. Her only consolation at that moment was knowing that Mayu had made it out of there with Bando. He would know what to do, and would keep her safe, though Nana did not entertain any ideas of being rescued. Despite how afraid she was to be back under the Institute's control, she did not want Mayu falling back into their hands.

When they had arrived at the seemingly derelict building near the coast, Nana had been confused, expecting to have been taken back to the Institute. She knew that awful man, Ghost, had wanted to get them back there, expressing the desire loudly on a radio shortly after they had been taken out to the transport vehicles. For a while, during the conversation he was angrily having with the voice on the other end, the men had simply stood around awaiting orders from Ghost. Nana had overheard some of the conversation while they stood waiting. From what she had been able to piece together, they had lost contact with a man named Director Vanith, and orders were being issued from another director who was residing at the facility. This director, a man named Westmore, had claimed "security reasons" for keeping the soldiers, and their captives, away from the main facility. The reason seemed strange to Nana. It seemed that security would be precisely the reason to call the soldiers back.

As she'd arrived at the makeshift headquarters, she saw that it had already been somewhat prepared for them to move in, though it held none of the trappings of the main facility. No steel walls or complex security systems. No specific holding areas for Diclonius prisoners. It was simply a shell of a structure, the walls devoid of anything which would set them apart from any other area of the building, and common lights with crude functionality. Her own "cell" was simply a room on the second floor of the five story building. There were no windows and only one door. There wasn't much space within, making it seem more like a large closet than a small room. The weak light which illuminated the area made her surroundings seem even smaller and she was feeling mildly claustrophobic because of it. Even more so due to her two guards who took up space themselves. The guards were overkill in Nana's estimation. With her hands securely bound, and the vector nullifier firmly secured to the base of her skull, one guard would have been more than enough. They probably could have even left her alone and locked the door. Frankly, even the handcuffs were unnecessary as she could not move her synthetic arms without her vectors.

Another muffled scream issued from down below and Nana let out a small wail. She had a good idea of who was down there with Akane, and knew very well what she was going through. Nana knew her turn was coming. She cried silently for Akane, no one deserved to suffer that way. Even though she loathed Ghost beyond words, she knew she could never do to him the things he had done to her, and was doing to Akane. She would kill him, nothing more. When Akane screamed however, Nana sometimes forgot about her aversion to torture. During one particularly long scream, Nana had exclaimed to her guards why they could stand by and let someone do things like that to another person. They had not replied, beyond quickly training their rifles upon her at the outburst, as if she were remotely a threat to them now. They had refused even to look her in the eyes and their stony expressions did not change one bit. She didn't bother trying to engage either of them in conversation after that, merely curling up in a corner as far from them as she could get.

A knocking sound at the door startled her somewhat. Likely the guard change, replacing her faceless watchers, with two more faceless watchers. When the door opened however, it only opened halfway, a voice whispering in hushed urgency from the other side.

"Guys, got a minute?" said the voice from outside. One of her guards looked at her pointedly.

"She's not going anywhere, just come out into the hallway a sec."

Begrudgingly, the men filed out of the room. As the door shut behind them, Nana felt instantly better at not being under their scrutiny. She almost didn't mind the restraints or the vector nullifier that kept scattering her thoughts in constant waves to keep her from being able to focus on moving her vectors. Almost immediately after the door was shut, and locked, Nana could hear a conversation in low tones. Realizing she could faintly make out the words from where she was, curiosity got the better of her and she slowly began inching across the floor, being unable to move her synthetic limbs themselves, making her way towards the door. Upon reaching it, she leaned close to listen.

"Going out of my fuckin head listening to that shit man," said the first man, who had knocked on the door.

"That's the sergeant down there with the scientist right? Jesus Christ…" came a second voice.

Another scream from down below silenced the men. When it faded, they continued.

"The sergeant said we were doing whatever is necessary to take those monsters down. We may not like it, but whatever's going on down there…we just have to trust that it's necessary," came the voice of the third.

"I don't know. Ghost has always been rough with detainees, but this? I've never heard it this bad. I'm going to be hearing that damn woman's screaming in my fucking nightmares. Is this what we're doing now?"

"Watch that shit. This isn't the time to be losing focus. What the brass does is their prerogative. Ours is just to follow orders, and get this job done. That chick down there was conspiring with one of those demons who ripped up our guys back on base. Far as I'm concerned, she's earned whatever she's getting."

"Whatever you've got to tell yourself man. I'm not saying I want to defect over this chick. I'm just saying this shit doesn't feel right."

Nana then heard the sound of a single pair of footsteps, running towards the room. She recoiled away from the door, fearing someone would be crashing through.

"Guys, we got to get down there," came a new voice, "sergeant got carried away, she's hurt real fuckin bad."

Nana didn't want to hear anymore, but couldn't bring herself to stop listening.

"Well what are we supposed to do? I thought they were all just getting capped in the end anyway."

"Not Doctor Arakawa. Ghost just reported back to the commander. Ryota passed on orders from Westmore. He ordered her brought back alive to the Institute's medical facilities on base."

"What do you think the brass wants with her?"

"Not our problem…let's just fucking get down there and get her out of here…"

"What about Number 7?"

Nana inched further back away from the door.

"I'll keep watch."

"Just you? You sure you'll be alright?"

"She's not going anywhere. Hurry and get Arakawa back to base before she fucking dies down there man."

Nana heard the footsteps departing from the door and she crawled back to her corner. She didn't quite understand it. They had sounded genuinely disgusted by what they had heard from the basement. It did not quite sync up with her own assessment of the soldiers. As far as she had been concerned, they were all as horrible as Ghost.

The door opened slowly, and the soldier entered the room, rifle first. Once he was able to see where she was in the room, he lowered the weapon, and stepped more quickly into the room, closing it quietly behind him. She expected him to take his place, standing by the door with a blank look in his eyes. Instead, he seemed deflated, hunched. When he had shut the door, he leaned back against the wall next to it, and slowly slid down into a sitting position. He did not look at her, but the expression on his face was one of gnawing anxiety and stress. She dared to study him a bit more.

He was young, much younger than the other soldiers she had seen before. He seemed not much older in appearance, than she herself was. She knew she couldn't measure it in such a way, considering she was technically only eleven years old at this point. Papa had long ago explained to her that as a Silpilit, she would age and develop somewhat more rapidly than others.

He held the rifle loosely, letting the barrel rest between his feet and stared at the wall opposite him. Nana was suddenly aware of the quiet in the room, and beyond. Apparently they needed more men than they had thought to care for Akane, leaving none, or very few on the second floor. Nana was glad she wouldn't have to see what Akane looked like as they drug her up from the basement. A tear slid down her cheek and she sniffled loudly, letting out a few quiet sobs.

At that moment, she noticed the soldier looking at her, the first one to do so since she had been captured. He seemed to be struggling with something, but she wasn't sure what. She felt so angry and frustrated at that moment, as well as feeling overwhelming sorrow for Akane.

"You call us the monsters," Nana said venomously, "you're all disgusting, the way you enjoy hurting people!"

The soldier looked on her with pain in his expression. There was also indignation. It was as if he were not sure which he should be feeling more.

"Did you really just say that?" he said, "you think you're so much better than us? I wonder if you're even aware of why you kill and destroy. Or if you even care." Even she could tell the words were born from a raw emotional wound. They angered her regardless.

"How DARE you? Of COURSE I care! I never wanted to kill anyone…"

"But you did. They're right then aren't they? You monsters can't control yourselves. That's why they kill your kind wherever they find you."

"Stop calling me a monster…I'm not a monster," Nana said, another tear sliding down her cheek, "I'm a person, just like you, despite what you all think. I don't understand how you think we're so different from you."

She sniffled again, and leaned heavily against the wall behind her, closing her eyes. She sobbed silently, not caring if the soldier saw. What did it matter anyway?

"I make my own choices," Nana said in a voice that was just above a whisper, "just like you. I feel pain just like you. I have emotions like you. I even have a name, and it's not 'Number 7'."

She opened her eyes, "so what is it really that makes me different from you?"

"Your vectors…"

"What if you were born holding that rifle? It kills the same as my vectors can…probably better. Would we be the same then?"

"That isn't…" he fell silent, unable to conjure up a suitable reply. After a few moments of awkward silence, he raised his hand as though to run it through his hair, but lowered it at remembering he was wearing a helmet.

"Sorry…" he said, the gesture born of reflex, and seemingly surprising him. It certainly surprised her.

They sat for a few minutes in silence, both nervously staring around the room. Whenever Nana thought he wasn't looking, she stole glances at him. Unlike the other soldiers who had come in to stand guard, there was nothing stern or harsh about his expression. One thing he did have in common with the other soldiers, was an air of uncertainty and inner conflict. It was just more pronounced in this man. Looking away again, she allowed her thoughts to travel once more towards home, and those she called family. She concentrated very hard on how happy they made her feel, and mostly, how she had no longer felt so alone in the world. She needed that contradiction of the darker aspects of humanity which seemed to surround her like a thick fog wherever she went. She had to believe that not all people were like the evil men of the Institute. She thought much about Lucy and was silently thankful she had known her. Lucy did not know it, but she had helped Nana understand that there were shades of light and shadow in all people, and to judge humankind as absolutely possessed of one or the other, was unrealistic.

These men, they were afraid of her, and that was all. Ghost may be cruel, but she understood in her short dialogue with her new guard, and from what she had overheard by the door, that these men were not cruel at heart. A sadness came over her at knowing that if she had to, she would kill these men who threatened to destroy the people she loved. It was different when she believed they were all universally evil, but she was having trouble holding onto that belief now. These men were scared, not evil. She couldn't fault them for that, not really.

She chanced a glance at the soldier in the room and found he had been looking at her. Their eyes met and he made as if to look away quickly, but couldn't, as something reflexive in him couldn't let him completely look away. One second, then two, and she could feel the understanding, as she was sure he felt it, that there could be no feigning the glance as accidental. As she looked into his eyes from across the room, she could feel that he was coming to a similar contradiction of belief regarding her kind.

"Are you afraid of me?" Nana asked quietly. He blinked twice and looked away from her for a moment, slightly uncomfortable. She was glad when he returned his gaze to her. She kind of liked his eyes.

"I don't know," he said.

"I'm afraid," Nana said honestly.

"Of us?"

Nana shook her head, "I'm afraid of never seeing my family again. I'm afraid of what you all will do to them. I don't want them to die. I don't want to leave without saying goodbye."

Tears formed in her eyes and slid down her cheeks, "the only reason I have to be afraid of you," she said, "is because you could make those fears come true."

"I wouldn't…" he began, but then froze and looked away. She knew he was about to deny that he would ever do such things to her, but realized that he couldn't. The reality was that he was in control of her fate, along with the other soldiers, and those who commanded them. She could feel his sincerity however, and silently thanked him for it. In a way, she realized, he was as bound as she herself was.

He sighed, "I guess I'm afraid of all those things too. That's why I'm here. That's why everyone is out here."

He looked back at her, "but now that I think about it, I guess I'm really not afraid of you either."

She offered him a weak smile, and he automatically responded with one himself, catching himself as he did so. She understood. He wasn't supposed to smile with his enemy. He seemed to realize the ridiculousness of trying to school his expression and laughed mirthlessly.

"Would you kill me if you didn't have that vector nullifier on you?" he asked plainly.

"I wouldn't want to," Nana said, evading his literal question while answering his real one.

Nana heard faint commotion outside and some harshly shouted commands. She thought she heard the name "Arakawa" mentioned. She hoped that Akane was okay.

"What's your name?" the soldier asked her, "your real one, not the number."

"My name is Nana. What about you?"

"Daisuke."

She tested the name silently on her tongue, liking the sound of it. She felt strangely warm inside.

Finding herself suddenly uncomfortable with her sitting position, she tried to shift her legs around to lean more into the corner but couldn't move the lower parts of her legs, being unable to use her vectors to manipulate them. Frustration began to well up within her.

"Um," said Daisuke nervously, "what's the matter?"

"I can't," Nana began, but stopped, feeling humiliated. Daisuke observed her legs as she kept trying to shift them unsuccessfully.

"You can't move your legs?"

"They're prosthetic…I can't move them without my vectors, and it hurts to sit this way."

He stood up and instinctively rested the rifle against the wall as he made to take a step towards her but froze, realizing what he was doing. Nana just watched him, saying nothing. Eventually, he let his hand part from the gun barrel, and moved close to her, kneeling down.

"How did you lose your limbs anyway?"

She recalled the image of Lucy's cold and cruel gaze as she dismembered Nana. She didn't really want to talk about that. It was a thing done against her by a different person in Lucy's body. Even still, she would never completely forget her anger towards Lucy. She didn't want to be angry with her right now.

"In a fight with a person I used to know. She was cruel and had no conscience. She died a long time ago though."

Daisuke began gently lifting her legs to readjust them, not quite meeting her gaze. He reached further up her prosthetic limb to help shift her more easily, and didn't seem to realize where the prosthetics ended, eventually touching the flesh of her thigh.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Are you?" she said, thinking he was still talking about the story of her missing limbs. She had wanted to know if he was really sorry for _her_, a Diclonius', pain. He stopped and looked at her, his hand frozen upon her upper thigh. It was clear he thought she was asking a different question.

The warmth of the touch was as exhilarating as it was unfamiliar. She would often forget what it was like to be physically touched by another person, whether it was a companionable hand on her back, or a hug. Most of the physical sensation she would otherwise have felt, would have been in the arms and legs she no longer had. Daisuke's hand on her leg sent a shock of sensation that thrilled through her in a way nothing had before.

He seemed to realize what he was doing, and yanked his hand away, as though he had been touching something very hot, looking away again. She saw a deepening blush on his face and recalled that there had been many boys at her school who shared the very same look when they would speak to her. Daisuke made as if to stand up again.

"Wait," she said quickly, not really knowing why.

He obeyed, and sank back into a kneeling position, returning his gaze towards her. Up close, his eyes were even more striking, having a bright green tint, his lashes giving them a naturally dark appearance which offset the color in his eyes. She could see his hair somewhat underneath his helmet, short, dark, and sticking out in places. He seemed so clumsily put together, a boy in a soldier's uniform, but there was something about that which she liked.

The way he looked at her…she never wanted him to stop. He didn't stare like she was a curiosity, and he didn't seem to be in the process of coming to some decision about her. He was swept up in something she could not name, and so was she.

"I…shouldn't be…doing this," he said nervously.

"Doing what?" she asked, desperate to hear the answer.

"You're a Diclonius," he said, more to himself, "they said you were all remorseless killers…"

"I'm not like that. I would never hurt you," did she say that out loud? It had slipped out before she knew she was going to say it. She was startled with her own forwardness.

She felt her own cheeks flush, and lowered her eyes to the floor. She understood now, she was attracted to Daisuke. She had occasionally harbored what she understood to be crushes on other boys from school, but never did anything about those feelings, not knowing exactly how to conduct herself. She didn't know what to do with the feeling now. She only knew that she was feeling it, and it was different and more powerful than she had ever felt it before. She couldn't quite understand why she would feel this way about him in particular. They were supposed to be enemies. She knew if the order were given, Daisuke would be forced to kill her. Somehow, knowing that didn't change those feelings in the least. She felt scared and out of control, but it wasn't exactly an unpleasant feeling.

He cast his eyes downward in shame, "this isn't right…"

"What?" Nana said in disappointment. Was he backing away? She didn't want him to back away, it seemed so unfair after what he made her feel, "what do you mean?"

"All of this," he said gravely, "that shit downstairs, you being here like this, I just…" he removed his helmet with one hand and roughly raked the other through his hair in frustration. His hair had a messy, spiked appearance which Nana found quite handsome, "I don't know…I don't know what to believe."

He looked at her again, considering her, "you killed a lot of guys back at that school."

"They wanted to hurt my friends, what would you have done if you were me?"

He continued to stare at her intently, "you'd kill me. First chance you got if that thing on your head was turned off."

"No I wouldn't Daisuke. I know there's no way I can prove that to you, but please believe me that I wouldn't."

He looked so lost…like she had once been. They were more alike than he knew. The spot where he had touched her leg seemed to tingle with the memory of it. She wanted him to touch her again, her blush deepened.

"Daisuke…could you…" she said in a small voice, finding the words difficult to say out loud.

"Please…hold me," she closed her eyes, embarrassed with herself, but unable to suppress the need. If her life had to end soon, and in pain, she at least wanted to feel one last glow of warmth. At least this man didn't think she was a wretched monster, and indeed, she had felt an almost instant connection with him. If these were her last hours, she didn't want to waste it. She knew he felt it too, and that…meant the world to her.

It happened before she even knew it, lost as she was in the current of her emotions, but in a sudden rush like an ocean violently filling in an empty space, she felt the control over her vectors return. Opening her eyes and looking up in mute shock, she registered Daisuke's arms at either side of her head. She stared dumbly while the fact registered in her mind: he had deactivated the vector nullifier.

For a few moments, she forgot how to breathe as they stared at one another. She could hear his breathing quicken with anxiety and uncertainty as he waited to see the result of his colossal leap of faith.

Using her vectors, she quietly unlatched the handcuffs which had bound her arms behind her. It had been a silly precaution in the first place considering that when they put the vector nullifier on her, she couldn't move them to any effect. Finally able to move her arms and legs, she adjusted her position more naturally as she reached her arms around Daisuke's neck. As she felt him hesitantly wrap his own arms around her waist, she responded by lifting herself into Daisuke's arms. Resting her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes and simply let her feelings surge through her like a raging storm. Her entire body tingled with the pleasure of the embrace, and her heart raced in her chest. She felt almost unable to contain herself.

"Do you believe me now?" Nana said in a broken, tearful voice. She had not remembered starting to cry.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes, there was profound emotion there, as well as terrible anxiety.

"What…what did I just do? They'll execute me for sure…"

Kill him? Kill Daisuke? Never. NEVER.

"I won't let them," Nana said fiercely. She brushed back her long, deep purple hair out of her eyes so she could look at him more clearly. Neither spoke, or moved, or seemed to breathe.

The door opened suddenly.

"Hey man, we're picking up to move out and…HOLY FUCK!"

Daisuke jumped up rapidly and Nana saw the two guards from before standing at the door.

"She's loose! Put her down!"

Time slowed to a crawl. She saw the men raise their rifles, saw the fear and panic in their eyes. She watched it all as though she were floating outside of her body. Distantly, she heard the word "wait, stop!" being screamed like a far off echo in the midst of a dream. She saw Daisuke stand suddenly, his arms outstretched towards the soldiers in warding. She saw him lose his balance as he stood up so quickly, accidentally stepping between her, and the guns. Muzzle flashes, screaming, panic, fear, rage, oh the profound rage.

The event transpired in a few savagely violent seconds. She slashed out with her vectors, working more on instinct than strategy. There were blinding flashes of gunfire that were quickly cut short followed by cries born of panic and surprise. There was the thump of a body hitting the floor and Nana found herself on her feet without remembering standing up. Silence prevailed once again in another frozen moment as Nana stood protectively over Daisuke. Floating in midair before her, were the bullets that she had caught in her quick sweep of the vectors. On the floor below her, Daisuke panted rapidly as he patted his body over with his hands, looking for wounds he was certain existed somewhere. Stark amazement crossed his face as he realized he was unharmed.

As Nana let the bullets clatter to the ground, the two men in front of her took a step back. She could have killed them, and done so easily. But things were different now, and realizing how they were different brought her to a new purpose. She would prove them all wrong about her kind. She would show them that their fears were based on lies. She would still fight if she had to, and kill if she had to, but she would not make it easy for them to continue to think of her as a monster. Daisuke had, in the short time they had spent in the small room, done what Kouta and the rest of her family had done for her. He had proved that there were those who would dare to see past what she was, and show compassion and empathy for the person inside.

The two soldiers dared a glance at the floor where they had dropped their useless guns, sliced cleanly in half by Nana's vectors.

"Daisuke!" one of them yelled, "what the hell are you doing? She'll kill…"

"SHUT UP!" Nana screamed at them, "I don't want to kill anyone! Don't you understand?"

"Tell that to our brothers you fucking murdered earlier tonight and back at the Institute. We're ready to die fighting your evil you monster."

"I wish I could have told them!" she screamed, "but they were too busy TRYING TO KILL ME FIRST!"

The soldiers drew knives, Daisuke stood between her and them.

"Stop this! It doesn't need to be this way! You guys KNOW shit isn't right with this mission man, we just talked about it. What the hell are we doing out here? Why are we torturing scientists and just sitting on a Diclonius prisoner? Wouldn't Ghost have asked Nana right away to help find the other Diclonius responsible for the deaths at the Institute? Why the hell hasn't he done that?"

"Who the fuck is Nana?"

Daisuke motioned frantically behind him, "her! That's her name."

"Daisuke, do you have any idea the kind of shit you're in for this? Get out of our way, don't make us go through you!"

"Touch him," Nana said icily, "and I swear, you'll be sorry."

A few moments of silence passed among all parties. Nana glared at the other soldiers who glared back with knives at the ready. Daisuke looked unsure whom to protect. All of them seemed to be waiting for some sort of sign regarding what to do. Nana knew that time was running out though. Very soon, other investigating soldiers would make the decision for all of them.

"This really your decision Daisuke?" one of the men said, "you crossing that line? You know if you do, there's no coming back."

Nana waited, unwilling to influence his decision. She hoped beyond hope that he would choose her. Triumph and happiness filled her as Daisuke slowly backed away towards Nana.

"This shit's not right. I'm sorry but I can't be a part of this anymore. You know I'm right. You ALL know I'm right."

"You're making a mistake."

"Wrong. I'm fixing one."

The way he stood in front of her like a resolute defender…it was like the way she had stood her ground when fighting the soldiers. No one had ever done that for her. Not even Papa…

The men began to slowly advance upon them and Nana grabbed Daisuke, pushing him aside so she could face their attackers. She would not allow them to harm Daisuke. She had given him her word on it.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash from downstairs, and the walls shuddered. Frantic shouts could be heard and occasional spurts of gunfire. Bando, it could be no one else. She had almost forgotten that he was still free and might possibly attempt a rescue. She had to get out there and help him, he was hopelessly outnumbered and wouldn't last long without her help.

"What the hell…" one of the soldiers began as both turned their heads towards the sound. Nana used their distraction to her advantage and flung her vectors out, striking their jaws with blunt force. They flew backwards into the wall and slumped to the floor, unconscious.

"What did you…?" Daisuke began.

"They'll be fine, I only knocked them out. We have to get out of here, my friends are out there trying to rescue me. They'll be killed if we don't hurry!"

Daisuke grabbed his rifle from the wall and turned to look at her.

"Nana…tell me I'm doing the right thing here. My head's going in a million directions right now. Tell me I'm not going to regret what I've just done today."

She looked at him, not knowing how to answer. It wasn't the kind of thing she could just tell him, he had to decide that for himself. He had already decided, she knew. It was just taking time for his head to catch up with his heart.

Another loud boom shook the building. Nana stared at Daisuke with desperate eyes; it was now or never.

His eyes hardened with resolve and he brushed past her, readying his rifle and moving fluidly. There was a loud click as he chambered a round into his weapon.

"Stay behind me, move when I move, stop when I stop. Do exactly as I say at all times until we're clear of the building."

He didn't wait to hear her answer, and began to move down the hall with her in tow. He was suddenly transformed from the conflicted, unsure person he had been with her in the room. Now he was precise, and professional. Stern and authoritative. She knew that between them, she was the stronger, but the way he handled himself made her forget that fact many times during their movement through the building.

As they headed downstairs, she could see debris around the floor, and felt the chill of winter air all around her. Strangely, they had not run into anyone yet, or any bodies.

"I think whatever attacked this place caught us in the middle of mobilization," Daisuke said, "that's what those guys were coming upstairs for, to collect us."

"Is that why there's no one here?"

"No one inside, yeah. But outside?"

As they reached what looked like an entrance hall, they could hear voices calling out from somewhere beyond the front door. Daisuke moved quickly to a wall near a window and motioned Nana to hurry towards him. As she did so, he placed a finger in front of his lips, commanding silence, as he listened. After a few moments, he turned to Nana.

"I don't think anyone's dead. Guys out there don't seem to know what's happening…hold on."

He reached for his waist and retrieved a radio. Making sure the volume level was low, he turned it on and held it up to listen.

"_Still no sign of whatever did that shit. You guys got anything?"_

"_Negative. Whoever's out there is just banging on the walls. Found a few breaches but no contacts. I got a bad feeling about this. Like someone's whacking a beehive to get the bees out in order to get to the honey."_

"_Shit…I got three units inside who aren't answering comms. Where's the sergeant?"_

"_He already left with the escort party going back to base. Get some men back in that building and find out what the fuck is going on!"_

"Shit," Daisuke said, "if they're coming back…we'll never dodge them out in the open."

"Leave that to me," Nana said, "hold onto me and don't let go."

"What…?"

"Just do it!"

Nana opened the door as Daisuke grabbed onto her, and she carried them outside with her vectors, then began to grasp at handholds far above them, lifting into the air.

"Shit!" Daisuke exclaimed as he gripped her more tightly. It caused her some pain but she ignored it, carrying them both higher and higher as fast as she could.

Before long, they reached the roof and she deposited them upon it roughly. It took a moment for Daisuke to get his balance, and when he did, he stared at her in amazement.

"That…was incredible."

"Well…" Nana looked away shyly. She felt reinvigorated at being free once more, even the cold didn't seem to bother her much. Looking back at Daisuke, she tried to find the words to thank him for what he had done for her. She understood full well the sacrifice he had made, and there were just no words to properly express what that meant to her. They stared at one another, finding some comfort in their relative safety, and Daisuke let his breath out in a huff as though he'd been holding it in.

"I can't believe I just did that…am I really standing here right now?"

"You're not sorry you did, are you?"

"No," he said quickly, "I don't think that I am. It's weird…but this is the first time since I joined up with S.A.T that I haven't felt confused about my choices, or the things I've done. I think…I think this is the right thing to do. I don't know where the hell we're going to go from here…but I'm sure I chose right."

He had done more than that. He had chosen _her_.

She began to walk towards him, suddenly needing to feel his arms around her. She was surprised with herself just how quickly she had become enamored with this man whom she had only known for an hour or so. She supposed that sometimes, that was all it took. She had made many of her friendships rather quickly after all.

But this was more than friendship, she knew. She was taking as much of a chance on him, as he had taken on her. For now, she just wanted a few moments with him before they left to find Bando and Mayu, who were sure to be very close by.

When she got close however, a large heavy object slammed into him, knocking him away from her as he cried out in pain.

"Nooo!" Nana cried, whirling around angrily to face the unknown attacker and was greeted with a sight that paralyzed her with shock. It was not a soldier that had found them by chance on the roof, and it wasn't even Bando.

It was a person she had not remotely expected to run into. Certainly not here, certainly not now.

Before her, cast in the cold glow of the moonlight through a break in the clouds, was the stoic and lethal visage of Lucy, eyes full of murderous intent towards Daisuke. How was she here? How did Lucy find her? Fear surged through Nana as she realized what was about to happen. Lucy looked down upon Nana, her eyes softening somewhat with genuine concern. It did not make Nana feel at ease.

"Kouta and I have been looking everywhere for you Nana," she said. She then looked towards Daisuke, clenching her fists, her voice carrying a dark edge that promised violence, "stand aside…

…I'll take care of him…"


	26. Confession

Erich sipped the mug of coffee he had been offered. He had insisted upon coffee despite the late hour, knowing all too well that sleep would not be coming to him in either case.

His host, Kouta, and the young woman who was living with him, Yuka, had retired elsewhere for the moment, leaving him alone in the dining area to think. There was a faint sound of conversation among gentle sounds of running water and clattering dishes. They were almost certainly discussing him. Yuka had looked apprehensive at his presence there and she was right to feel that way. He wondered silently, for what seemed like the hundredth time, why he had acquiesced to Kouta's invitation. Up to this point, he had managed to satisfy himself with the explanation that he didn't want to be on the street anymore in case Angel came calling once more. He had been on the most direct road back to the city, and Angel knew he did not know Kamakura well enough to take side roads, or other approaches to it. She would have known exactly where to pick up his trail if, and when, she chose. The mug shook in his hands as he thought about her.

Angel…his most terrible, personal demon. He had killed that entire family. That was the brutal truth of the matter, their deaths were on his hands. It was different now however. There was already a lot of blood on his hands from the work he had used Angel to carry out, but she had placed the knife into his hands this time. He had personally cut flesh and spilled blood. He had been allowed to feel the warmth of life cascade over his murderous hands as he watched that life bleed out of a small child.

When he had looked into Angel's eyes just before swinging the knife, something in those eyes had brought out a most terrible side of him that he hadn't quite known was there. He couldn't define what had suddenly come over him that made him commit so terrible an act.

There was a moment, just before the girl had perished, when Erich had seen a look in his victim's eyes that he knew well. It was only for the fraction of a second, but there they were; Angel's eyes. As fathomless as death was eternal. It could simply have been a trick of his imagination, and in fact, he quite firmly held to that belief. He did not want to think about how a person could live their entire lives staring through eyes such as those. He did not want to think about why Angel could do it…

She wanted him to know why. Imagination or not, there was something terrible in her depths. Something he had not put there himself. It wouldn't end until he finally had the answer to what it was. How many more would suffer and die before that happened? How many would he kill before the end? How far would he go?

He knew he didn't really need the answer to that last one. Angel had proved that he had always known it. He would go as far as he had to.

His mind returned to his surroundings, and this time, he endeavored to keep it there instead of letting it drift back to Angel, and the horror still twisting inside him like a snake made of barbed wire.

He brought the mug back to his lips and drank deeply of the steaming, unsweetened beverage, and relished its bitterness. He listened to the sigh of wind through the trees and tried to let it calm him. He had not realized just how sorely needed this asylum was. The moment he had stepped through the doors, he felt himself uncoil so completely that he feared he would sink to his knees right in that instant. Instead, he had kept his composure as Kouta introduced him to the apprehensive Yuka.

She had been reluctant to get near him. Not that she had been obvious about keeping her distance, but after the initial introductions, she ensured that he was generally out of arms reach. He felt somewhat off put by Yuka's manner towards him, not because he was personally offended by her lack of hospitality, but more because he couldn't charm her, and he had certainly tried. He couldn't put his finger on it, why was he having such trouble with this? He had prided himself somewhat in his almost effortless ability to wrap his former test subjects around his finger as he spoke to them, and many of them exhibited a greater level of intelligence than was clearly present in this simple girl. So why wasn't his charm having any effect?

He put it out of his mind, attributing it to rattled nerves that were preventing him from presenting himself in the proper fashion. Even people of the most rudimentary intelligence could instinctively feel when another person was on edge, and that affected the ensuing interaction. That was probably it. He just needed some time to calm down, and rest if he could, though he knew the latter was going to be a long time coming as he felt the caffeine rush flow through him, speeding his heartbeat.

Still however, he needed to give some thought to where he was going to spend the night. He could walk his way back to the Institute, but knew he wouldn't do so. Erich wasn't certain when he had made the decision, but at some point during his walk, he decided he would not involve any more of the Institute's forces in this wretched game with Angel. She had opened his eyes to the futility of throwing men against her when she butchered his escort. Not that he hadn't always known it was futile, but he had been angry and desperate after Angel had reveled her murder of Celine and raped him. He'd wanted revenge, and men died because of his stupidity. He couldn't trust himself not to get anyone else killed, or squander the Institute's resources in an obsessive quest for vengeance.

Besides, he knew that this was between the two of them alone. Only he would ever have a real chance at killing Angel. Anyone else who tried, she would snuff their lives out without a second thought, and without breaking a sweat. People were going to die, there was no avoiding that, but Erich could at least keep the casualties to a minimum. He felt a nagging anxiety at not knowing what was happening at the Institute, and tried his best to put that out of his mind. Ryota would do his duty if things started to go badly, he had to trust in that. He didn't have a choice anyway.

A strange sense of freedom swept through him as he reflected on his decision to pursue Angel alone. He felt strangely excited at the prospect of anonymity, and the relinquishment of a conqueror's heavy burdens. Though his errand was a grim one, and would likely end in his death, he savored the freedom to simply walk around aimlessly, hold a conversation with a stranger, drink coffee in a simple house, and not have to stomach schemers, sycophants, or the groveling supplication of greedy fools. He would make sure to thank Angel for this little vacation before he blew her brains out. As the thought of her death flew blissfully through his mind, he found himself disturbed when he attempted to think past that event. His brow furrowed at the nothingness that seemed to follow. This, he put out of his mind as well. There would of course be future plans after her death. It was just his single minded focus that was making it appear that there would be nothing left after he…

He abruptly put his mind back to the business of nightly lodging. He could stay somewhere in the city, but he didn't know it very well, having only been to Kamakura a few times, and mostly never went out into that city further than Celine's residence there. He had a fair amount of Japanese currency in his wallet to pay for lodging in any case, having made sure to convert a small portion of his funds in anticipation of staying in Japan for a while.

Sipping his coffee, he considered his surroundings. This was an inn, wasn't it? Strange that there weren't any guests. Erich knew that there were some others that lived here with Kouta and Yuka, but he hadn't had the impression that the addition of those people would be enough to justify so large a home. Perhaps they would accept payment for him to rent one of the rooms for the night? He would have to ask Kouta when he returned from the kitchen. It was either that, or wander the cold streets for the next couple of hours looking for a hotel, not knowing the city so well except for the Institute, Celine's place, and…

…and…

_Christ…that's where you want me to go isn't it Angel? That's why you're not watching me. You know that you're going to find me there…you're probably waiting for me even now…_

"Feeling better?"

Kouta's voice, from the hallway that led to the kitchen. He stepped out and into the dining area, Yuka following behind. As she entered the room, she once again cast an anxious gaze upon him. It made his temper flare up, but he ruthlessly suppressed it, and offered a smile to the pair, who sat down at the table opposite him. The woman sat companionably close to Kouta. His lover, he guessed.

"I am actually, thank you," Erich replied, "I had been walking the street for so long I suppose I forgot how miserable I was out there."

"We're happy to help," said Yuka, her expression softening somewhat. He felt amused at the lie. Anyone watching her would have been entirely convinced of her sincerity. That took practice…how interesting.

There was an uncomfortable silence as both Yuka and Kouta appeared to be searching around for something to say. Erich had not given them much information on the circumstances of his evening wanderings, so they didn't really have an easy way to strike up conversation so that they might know him better. He normally would have been just fine with that, as the discomfort of others often put Erich in an advantageous position over them in conversations, but he wasn't an authority figure under this roof. He needed to put them at ease and he wasn't going to do that by being reticent, though he couldn't exactly be truthful either.

"I'm sorry to inconvenience you this way," said Erich, "I had actually planned on finding a hotel somewhere in the city, and will likely do that shortly. I'm starting to feel well enough to resume my walk."

"You have somewhere to go after that don't you?" Kouta asked. Yuka shot him a look that was just shy of incredulity, but remained silent.

"I…" Erich thought quickly, this was where he had to start telling them something, "don't have a place to go as much as I have something to do."

They waited for him to go on. He made a show of staring into his drink and sighed as though it were an involuntary action. He paused just long enough to imply distraction from some inner musing before carefully placing his mug on the table, and flicking his eyes towards his hosts, as if he had just remembered they were there.

"I'm looking for someone," that much was true.

"Who?" asked Yuka, suddenly intrigued.

He paused for a moment, and considered telling them the truth. If they had, by some freak chance, run across Angel, they would likely be able to point him in a direction. He wouldn't have to tell them why he was looking. He decided against asking however, as he remembered why it would be useless. He felt sure of where he would most likely find Angel now, and didn't need direction. Besides, the less people who knew about the Diclonius, the better. Even if JSDF eventually had to lock the city down, they could simply tell its citizens that there had been a viral outbreak and the government was attempting to isolate it. Which would be more or less true.

"My daughter," Erich lied, "I've been looking for her almost two days now."

"How terrible," Yuka said earnestly, though he was sure she didn't completely believe him, "have you gone to the police?"

"I have, but they were ever so gracious to tell me that they were overburdened with missing persons cases at the moment, and that they would do their best under the circumstances," again, a sliver of truth there. The local police force already had orders to prioritize the search for the Institute's targets. He figured mentioning that would strike a chord in Kouta, who had previously mentioned his own missing persons trouble.

Kouta sighed, "they told me pretty much the same thing, but why didn't you mention earlier that you were looking for your daughter?"

Time for the dramatic part of his story. There would be some truth in this as well, which he hoped would give it an air of legitimacy.

"Because you would have felt compelled to help find her, and besides myself, and the police, I don't want anyone else involved."

"Why on earth wouldn't you?" Yuka asked.

"Because she tried to kill me."

Shocked silence followed as his two hosts stared dumbly. Yuka appeared to be sufficiently stunned, but the look that Kouta gave him…was very strange. Like he was caught in some kind of memory.

"Why would she do that?" Kouta asked.

"It's…kind of a long story actually."

"Well, if you don't want to…"

"No…no, it's alright. You let me, a stranger, into your home and gave me shelter. The least I can do is give you an explanation."

He had intended to make a show of collecting his thoughts, and his nerve, before he began to speak, but then suddenly realized that he honestly needed to do exactly that. Once he had, Erich found himself strangely anxious to begin. To finally talk frankly about everything…more or less.

"She's adopted, and actually used to live around here" Erich began, "I took her in five years ago after she had gotten into some trouble with the law. I heard about her from some distant relatives that were taking care of her. I owed them a favor, they didn't want her to disappear into the system, and I've always had a soft spot for the hard luck case, so I agreed to adopt her."

"You said 'taking care of her'. They weren't her real parents? What happened to them?" said Yuka.

"She never spoke of them to me, even though I asked many times. She didn't appear to have any biological parents to speak of. Apparently the trouble that the girl had been swept up in was such that those people either could not, or would not, continue to harbor her. I thought I would be different, and able to handle her. I suppose I didn't really know what I was getting myself into."

Erich made a show of wringing his hands together before continuing, it wasn't all feigned.

"The moment I met her, I knew she was trouble, but I was still confident that I could make a difference in her life and I felt sure we would eventually get along. I was strict with her, but I had to be. I think she resented me for it. She was always pushing at me, fighting me. When she couldn't get her way through force, she just learned to be manipulative instead. After a while, I found myself having to mentally prepare myself just to talk with her. It was a constant battle, every day."

"_Angel, you can stop this whenever you want to. Just answer my questions, when I ask them, and you don't have to feel anymore pain. I don't like doing this anymore than you like feeling it. Please do us both a favor: tell me what happened to your parents. Did you kill them? Did you know them? Are they still alive somewhere? Do you remember where?"_

"_Again Erich…do it again…you almost made me come that time…"_

"_There's no need for such vulgarities."_

"_So torture isn't vulgar to you? I knew there was something I liked about you Erich. Maybe one day you'll have the balls to use a knife instead of that keychain you use to shock me with. Then you'll know something about vulgarity."_

"_I'm not going to ask you again Angel."_

"_You say that every day…now come on…finish me off…"_

He had been too disgusted to continue that particular day. He remembered the way she had crawled to his feet, then stood on her knees, looking up at him as she let out that mocking laughter. Daring him to hurt her. He hadn't been sure if she was bluffing or not, but he suddenly felt filthy being in that room with her, contributing to her perverse…gratification.

He had not been exactly sure when he stopped caring about that. There were times that he tortured her far longer than he used to, and left her cell feeling a savage sense of satisfaction. Never once did she ever beg him to stop…not once…

"She sounds tormented," Kouta said sadly, "I wonder what could have brought her to that? Did she never talk about her past with you at all?"

"Never. She fought with me tooth and nail regarding it. I kept asking, but she never spoke a word about it. I'm ashamed to admit that I sometimes got very furious with her because of that."

"Maybe that was the point," Kouta said, and the words stunned him.

"What's that?" said Erich.

"Maybe that was the only way she could keep you around. Keep you coming back. She had something you wanted, and maybe she was afraid that once you had it, you would leave."

Erich just stared at him. He had never quite considered something like that as a possibility. Angel had despised him, and seemed only to desire his torment. But sometimes…Angel could be very confusing about her motives where he was concerned. Could it have been that simple?

"_Walk with me Erich…"_

No…that was just ridiculous. She was going to kill him at the end of this. Unless he killed her first. The only thing they shared with one another, was mutual hatred.

"I'm not so sure," Erich said.

He raised the mug of coffee to his lips again, but decided against it and returned the mug to the table. Yuka took it from him and he thanked her as she left the room, heading towards the kitchen.

"Anyway," Erich went on, "it wasn't all an uphill struggle. I think if it had always been like that, I might have sent her back to some form of social services. She was a very intelligent girl, and was very engaging when she chose to be. It was those times that reassured me that I was doing the right thing by continuing to take care of her. Despite how difficult things were, I was proud of her. She had a way of looking at things that was unlike anyone else I had ever known."

"_What's this Angel?"_

He had come to her cell one day to see crumbled up paper balls everywhere, and some open books strewn about which he had left for her. It had been sometime during year number three that he had worked out a device that would cancel her vectors while allowing her to move about her cell freely. He felt the concession prudent, to more strongly establish the bond he was hoping, yet failing, to achieve with her. The sight he had been greeted with was curious indeed. Angel had been perched on a desk, leaning over a sheet of paper as she wrote carefully upon it.

"_Words," _she had simply replied without raising her head.

"_And what do the words say?"_

"_Whatever you want them to. I've been interpreting poetry all day, rewriting them with different words to say the same thing, or a million different things. As I've been doing this, I realized something."_

"_What's that Angel?"_

"_Words are our slaves as much as they are our masters. They say whatever we decide they say, even if the meaning becomes skewed in the process. Sometimes when the truth is turned into a lie, that lie becomes law, and then we are ruled by it. Words are so frivolous, yet so final."_

"_I'm not sure I understand what you mean."_

"_Of course you do," _she had said. Erich was about to reply, but Angel spoke once more.

"_Have you come to ask me my name again Erich?"_

"_Are you going to tell me?"_

"_It's a word. A lie that masked the truth. I prefer the word you gave me, both truth, and lie."_

He sighed, tiring of the game, yet finding himself strangely intrigued. He turned and looked at the paper she had been carefully writing on.

"_What are you writing now?"_

"_I thought to devise some words of my own, similar to these other writers. I have only one line, but I realized it was the only one I needed."_

Angel continued to darken that line slowly with her pencil, not looking up at him. After a few moments of silence, Erich heard the sound of the cell door opening to admit a group of guards who were specifically trained in handling Angel. They had come to place her back into her enclosure for the night. She stood gracefully and stared at Erich as the men surrounded her, and carefully restrained her arms, removing the pencil from her hand with even greater caution.

"_Good night Angel," _he said to her. She had not replied.

As the guards led her to the enclosure, Erich looked over to the sheet of paper that Angel had been writing on when he walked into the cell. It contained only one line, just as Angel had said.

_These words belong to no one._

"_Those words," _Angel had called out as the men were strapping her in, _"they're neither slaves, nor masters."_

"_Then what are they?"_

"_Worthless."_

She had stared intently at him at the utterance of that word. He felt like she was trying to tell him something, and he just couldn't cut through the fog of her words.

"Did you ever tell her that?"

"Huh?" Erich snapped back to attention at the sound of Kouta's question.

"Did you ever tell her that you were proud of her?"

He couldn't have done that. She would have seen it as a sign of weakness, and that her manipulations were having an effect on him. It would have encouraged her to take even more liberties with him than she was taking already, and that had been out of the question. Of course, privately, he had been pleased with how quickly she learned things, and how well she could fight and kill. Her labyrinthine intelligence often vexed him, but when he would watch her deal with others, he felt a secret pride that no one could scratch the surface of her, let alone pierce her depths.

"No, I suppose I never did. I wanted to, but I…"

She wouldn't have cared if he had told her. It would have slid right off of her and she would merely have mocked him for his sentiment.

"…I didn't think she would believe me."

Yuka returned from the kitchen and settled down again next to Kouta, bracing a hand on his shoulder as she resumed her position near him. The movement was intended to seem casual, but Erich could always tell when a person was acting. So maybe they weren't lovers, and she wanted to be? He filed that information in the back of his mind for the moment.

"I think she would have," Kouta said, "if you had just tried to reach out to her."

"Well, it's too late now."

"It's never too late," Kouta said in a gravely serious tone. It did not carry an air of whimsical idealism, but rather the sobering note of experience.

Erich wanted to tell him everything in that moment, just to prove him wrong. He wanted to talk about that family that Angel butchered, and how she had mutilated Celine. He wanted to take him to see what remained of those dead bodies she had left in her bloody wake. He didn't dare.

"Why did she try to…hurt you," Yuka asked, seemingly unwilling to use the word "kill," as if replacing the word could really take away its effect on the mind.

"I came back to Kamakura recently, to meet with those relatives who asked me to take care of her. They had heard of how well she was doing, and wanted to meet her. When they did, they decided that she should stay here in Kamakura, in their care, from now on. I didn't understand what was going on at first. They had asked me to invest five years of my life in this girl. They reminded me that what I had done, was because I had owed them in the first place. I…"

…_didn't want them to take you…_

That had been the first thought to rush into his head in that moment. He braced his elbows on the table and held his head in his hands. This was all so fucked…what in the hell was he thinking?

"…had no choice but to acquiesce to their demand. They were her legitimate guardians, not me."

"Couldn't you have fought them? Done something?" asked Yuka.

"I was just tired at that point. Five years of constant struggle and head games. I think in that moment, I was just ready for it to be over, but I couldn't leave without saying goodbye."

"_I need you Angel…" _he had said while looking into Angel's eyes. Celine had thought he was referring to her. At the time, Erich thought he was talking about Celine as well, but deep down…

"…_Ever since you came into my life, there hasn't been room for anything else. I can't stop thinking about you. Even when I sleep I dream of you."_

"I guess she didn't take the news very well then?" Kouta said.

"I wasn't sure how she had taken it, she could be very unreadable when she wanted to be. I think deep down though, I knew that she felt betrayed."

She had looked at him with desperate eyes that night. Never before in five years had he seen a look like that on Angel's face. Why did that fact just slip by him? Suddenly he wanted to stop talking. He felt confused and unsure of the destination that his mind was heading towards, but he instinctively knew he did not want his mind to reach that destination.

"What happened next?" Kouta asked, and Erich found he could not stop talking.

"She came to my home as I slept, just down the way from where I had been walking," Erich said, "I woke up to see everything in flames. I saw her, only briefly, as I woke. She wanted to make sure I was awake and aware, and then she was gone. I barely had time to grab one of my overnight bags which still had some clothes, and fortunately, my wallet. The place would be in ashes by now. Everything I have on me right now, is all I have left."

He sighed as he returned his gaze to Kouta and Yuka, who both now looked entirely captivated with his story, and sufficiently moved to sympathy. He knew he could stop here, and probably could have stopped long ago. They would allow him to rest under their roof, he was sure of it.

"So you see," he continued anyway, "this is between her and I. I have to know why she did that to me, because right now, all I have are guesses. No matter how good those guesses might be, I don't have certainty, or closure to this awful chapter in my life. Only she can give that to me, and she can't do that behind bars."

"I see," Yuka said sadly, "I'm so sorry."

"What will you do when you find her?" Kouta asked.

_End this, somehow._

Erich stared without really seeing, as his mind went over the events of the past few days, and indeed, the past few years. They came like a series of images, flashing rapidly through his mind. Pieces of a puzzle, pieces of her, and of himself, that he couldn't keep still in his mind long enough to find out how to put that puzzle together. He had always been struggling with that puzzle, but now that he had actually been allowed to talk about it in this way, he felt armed with new insight. Regrettably however, that insight did not seem to be enough, nor would it really matter. He couldn't see how he was going to stop Angel. Erich once again forced out that line of thinking. He couldn't afford to consider how impossible his task was.

Distantly, he could hear Kouta saying something. Or was it Yuka? He wasn't really paying attention. His mind had suddenly become quite consumed with thoughts of Angel, and the things she had said and done. There was a memory that nagged at him in the corner of his mind. He thought perhaps that he had been relaying his story to Kouta and Yuka in an attempt to get to that memory. It was a recent memory but he couldn't get his thoughts to focus long enough to really play it back in his mind. It was important somehow. He felt instinctively that there was something in that memory which would give him the answer to finally getting the upper hand on Angel. Perhaps he did not realize its importance back then, but he was sure he could discover it now…if he could only think…

…hotel. That was why he had wanted to seek a hotel, wasn't it? It was in a hotel that that memory existed within. Perhaps being in one would…

"Erich?"

"Huh?" said Erich, snapping back to attention.

"What's the matter?" Kouta asked, "we lost you for a minute there."

"I apologize. It's been a long night, and I'm rather exhausted."

He opened his mouth to ask what it would cost him to rent a room here, but froze before doing so. Kouta and Yuka had refrained from speaking, seeing that he had been about to. He paused for a moment, long enough to allow them to make an offer if they were so inclined, but not long enough to suggest that he was waiting for such an offer to be made. Strangely, he was relieved when they did not make that offer. He realized that he did not want to stay here after all.

He realized, with ill humor, that the kindness and hospitality offered him by his two hosts, had been the only genuine kindness he could ever remember receiving in his life. It was like he had stepped into another life for an evening, and that life belonged more with people such as these, rather than with the Institute, and everything that waited for him there. He knew, of course, that he did not belong with people such as his current hosts at all, and could never. His path was far too much in the dark, and he would only bring that darkness with him, to all who crossed his path. He couldn't stay here. Couldn't repay their kindness by bringing suffering and death down upon them, as he was quite sure he would.

Besides…he needed the surroundings of the hotel to help him focus his thoughts. He felt sure that it was all he needed to get everything straight in his mind. Erich stood up to leave.

"Thank you both for letting me rest a while, but I really must be going."

The city wasn't far off, he was practically in it as he was. He was sure finding lodging would not be difficult, and he still felt relatively awake from the coffee. He could afford to walk for a while longer.

"I'll walk you out," said Kouta, standing up with him. As Erich was turning away, he caught Yuka giving Kouta a look of concern, grasping his hand quickly, then removing it again. He silently wished her good luck with that. Kouta was a lucky man, if a bit blind to what was in front of him.

As Erich put his coat back on, Kouta slid open the front door and allowed him to step past, back into the cold night. They looked at one another for a few moments more, Kouta on his side of the door with light and warmth at his back; and Erich on the other, darkness and chilling wind at his. It just seemed right.

"Well," Erich said, "it was nice to have met you Kouta. If nothing else, meeting you has put some things in perspective for me."

He paused…considering.

"Do you," Erich began, hesitantly, " or Yuka, have any family outside of Kamakura?"

"Well," Kouta said apprehensively, likely thrown by the strange question, "yes, I do. Further north, in Hokkaido. Why do you ask?"

He wanted to tell him to run. Pack their bags and get the hell out of Kamakura while they still could. He wanted to at least warn these people, Kouta in particular. There was just something about the man which…well…didn't exactly remind Erich of himself. Perhaps it was simply the idea that he could have had this man's life, were he born in a different place, in a different world, at a different time.

He wanted to warn him of what was coming, but who would believe him? His story sounded crazy enough to his own ears, and the time it would take to explain everything; the Diclonius, Red Sky, the Institute, everything…

No, it would be completely useless to try. All he could do was try to stop Angel. It would be the one sure way to prevent the military hammer coming down on the otherwise peaceful, coastal city.

"No reason," Erich said, "this business with my…daughter…has just had me thinking about family I suppose. You don't want to take your own for granted."

"Believe me Erich…I don't…"

"Good," he said quietly, "…good."

Erich turned to walk away into the night…where he belonged.

"Erich," Kouta called out from the doorway, "I forgot to ask you something."

"Yes?" Erich said, turning his head back towards Kouta.

"Well," Kouta said, "your daughter's name. You never mentioned it."

"_It's a word. A lie that masked the truth."_

"That's because she never told me," Erich said truthfully. Angel had never said what her real name was.

"I…don't understand," Kouta said, "then what did you call her?"

"_You're mine now Erich…"_

Erich stared across the lawn at Kouta.

"Mine," he said simply. And she was, his focus, his mission, his job, his obsession, his curse, his sin…

One more day, that is all he would give himself before he descended once more into Angel's world. He would take no one else with him. Not the Institute, not Kouta, not anyone.

He slid the courtyard door open and stepped through, closing it firmly behind him, and walked away towards the city. The cold sliced through him, stealing the warmth he had recently acquired, his lonely footsteps echoing quietly until they faded into the whisper of the winter breeze, and a distant roll of thunder above.


	27. Returning Home

"…I'll take care of him," Lucy said venomously. She was out of control and she knew it. Between dodging soldiers, her all night search, and the myriad of emotions that assaulted her through the link with Nana, she was on the edge. And who should she find with Nana, but one of those bastard soldiers. Alone, with absolutely no fighting chance. She knew that killing him when he stood no chance would be wrong, or at the very least, that it wouldn't be exactly right. Knowing that, was the only reason she had not already torn him to pieces.

Well, that…and Nana was standing directly, and purposefully, between them. It took a moment for it to really register in Lucy's mind. Nana was actually defending the man, who at that moment, made a sudden movement from behind Nana. Lucy lashed out with her vectors on instinct.

"No Lucy! Stop!"

She realized too late that the sudden movement had merely been the soldier falling down from an attempt to stand back up. Likely a consequences of his nerves being understandably rattled, faced with the presence of two Diclonii. Either that, or the soldier recognized her for who she was. Before Lucy's vectors had a chance to find their target, Nana's own vectors appeared to meet Lucy's, striking them in midair and forcing them to the floor as if they had been arm wrestling. The impact caused a cloud of dust, debris, and snow to fly up into the air all around them. If there were any soldiers left in the area, they would surely have noticed it.

"Dammit Nana! What the hell are you doing? What's going on here?"

"Lucy…there's so much I need to tell you…I…"

The soldier used the distraction to roll towards his rifle, retrieving it with as much skill as he could muster, and brought the weapon up to aim it towards Lucy. She readied her vectors for his futile assault. If he pulled that trigger, Lucy swore to herself that she would throw him right the hell off of that rooftop. However, Nana stood in front of Lucy this time, defending her, against him.

"Daisuke, please don't! Both of you, just stop!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" the soldier…Daisuke…shouted, "That's fucking Lucy! You're with her?"

"Please listen…"

"Do you have any idea how many of us she's killed?"

"Daisuke, you don't understand!"

There was desperation and despair in Nana's voice as she pleaded with the man. Lucy's mind was spinning in a hundred directions as the scene unfolded before her. There was something familiar about all of this. She took a mental step back, and rethought her strategy to one of defense, rather than offense…for now.

"Get out of the way Nana!" Daisuke yelled out, trying to inch around Nana to get a clear shot at Lucy.

"He's not listening to you Nana," Lucy said, glaring at Daisuke, "do as he says and get out of the way. I didn't come all this way to see you get hurt."

Nana ran her hands through her hair as angry, frustrated tears streamed down her face.

"SHE'S not going to get hurt," Daisuke spat, "YOU are!"

"Bet your life on it?"

The three of them stood there, in their knife edged deadlock. The silence was so complete that Lucy swore she could hear the sound of snow gently striking the surrounding utilities. The tension in the air so thick, Lucy thought she could reach out and touch it. It finally occurred to Lucy that both she, and Daisuke, were holding back for Nana's sake. She could see that Daisuke was having that realization as well. Viscerally, Lucy understood that it meant Daisuke was, at the very least, not Nana's enemy.

"Are you both going to listen?" Nana said, her eyes darting between both parties, waiting for one of them to make some sort of move that she would have to stop them from making.

Neither Lucy, nor Daisuke spoke, which was about as much of a concession as either were willing to give to Nana's question. Lucy slowly began to relax her guard a little as she saw Daisuke's finger come away from the trigger, and rest upon the guard. His weapon was still aimed towards Lucy, and Lucy's vectors were still out. It was an uneasy truce.

"Who is he?" Lucy asked finally. Someone had to start talking, might as well be her, "why are you defending him?"

"His name is Daisuke," Nana said, "he helped me escape."

Lucy turned to regard Daisuke once more, with that new information in her mind. As she reassessed him, a memory began to flicker in the corner of her mind, but she couldn't focus long enough to recall it clearly. There was definitely a very familiar feel to all of this.

"Where's Mayu?" Lucy asked, suddenly remembering that Nana was only one part of the reason her and Kouta had been out tonight. It was not exactly that she had forgotten, but Lucy was finding it very hard to stay focused on anything.

"I…" Nana began, "I don't know…I thought she was with…I thought she'd be…"

Nana looked as though she were about to tear herself apart, and the mental link surged frantically as a storm of anxieties and concerns raced through the link, nearly making Lucy dizzy from it.

Suddenly, they heard shouting from inside the building, and approaching footsteps coming quickly up the stairs. It appeared their little skirmish had caught the attention of the remaining soldiers. Nana whirled her head towards Lucy, tears streaming down her face, and gave Lucy a desperate look, imploring her. As if to say "trust me, please."

Lucy looked at Daisuke, who still had his gun trained on Lucy, but was looking towards the rooftop door with a rising sense of dread. Suddenly…the memory slammed into her like a fist.

Takashi…

Soldiers running up the stairs…

…a choice…so much death…

It was enough to make Lucy believe that there was such a thing as fate. That things should happen again this way. Back then, she had made the decision far too late, and people died that perhaps did not need to. She would not make that mistake again. Looking at Nana, she realized that if nothing else, she trusted her. There was no more time to think, only time to act.

Lucy shot a vector out towards Daisuke. She had to act, and did not have the luxury to explain herself. She ripped the gun violently from Daisuke's hands who cried out in surprise. Nana turned towards Lucy as if to strike back.

"Take him and go Nana! I'm right behind you! RUN! NOW!"

Nana ran towards Daisuke, gathering him up, and launching them off of the roof with her vectors. Lucy chambered a round in the rifle and pointed it quickly at the door. She fired a few rounds through it, hoping that would encourage their would be pursuers to duck and cover, buying Lucy precious seconds. Dropping the gun, she ripped a ventilation unit from the roof with her vectors, quickly slamming it into the door, wedging it firmly in place to prevent the door from being forced open. She heard the sound of boots hammering against the door, but Lucy knew they would never get through. At least not until she was long gone. Turning from the door, she launched herself off of the roof as well, following Nana's pulsing, desperate mental signal. Lucy seemed to fly through the air as her vectors caught nearby building ledges, and trees. The cold air stung her face, and she did her best to shield her eyes from the heavy snowfall. Before long, the sounds of men faded away, as did the lights. There were fewer and fewer of them lit as Lucy sped along.

Feeling that she had put enough distance between herself and the S.A.T building, she let herself fall to the lonely, derelict streets below, breaking into a run as she raced through the cold, skeletal industrial sector, gaining ground on Nana's signal. From the feel of it, it appeared Nana had finally stopped moving somewhere not far ahead.

As Lucy reached walking distance of where Nana had chosen to stop, she slowed down to a walk so she could catch her breath before arriving. The frantic flight had left her little time to think, having been rushed along by urgency, and guided by instinct up to this point. All was calm now, and quiet, save for Lucy's labored breathing. After a few minutes of walking, her breathing began to even out, and she could hear her own footsteps echoing hauntingly throughout the silent surroundings. She used the quiet to collect her thoughts as best she could.

Nana was safe. That much was comforting to be sure, but Lucy was still getting used to the idea of Nana's escape being aided by an Institute soldier. However, as she thought of Takashi once again, she realized that it wasn't so far fetched. After all, it had been Takashi who had given Lucy a real chance at life. Without his deception, Lucy would have remained a hunted woman, and could never have returned to Kouta. Lucy realized then, with despair, that she was once again, a hunted woman. Once again, she had dragged Kouta into her problems, and so many others with him. Frustration welled up in her at knowing her pursuers would never stop. If only Mayu had been with Nana. They might have been able to pick up and run away as far as they could get from Kamakura. Deep down however, Lucy knew better. No matter how far they went, there would be no escape. There seemed to be only one way out, and Lucy did not want to go back to the person she would have to become in order to free herself and Kouta. That path was carved by violence, and drawn in blood. She feared that she would have no choice in the end.

Rounding a corner, Lucy saw a small, one story building which looked like a security office. It was situated next to a gate leading to a small road which wound up towards a distant industrial building, its purpose unknown. It was just a looming, black shape in the darkness. Cold and forbidding.

Shuddering at the sight, Lucy turned back to the security office where she knew Nana waited with the other one, Daisuke. Brimming with questions, Lucy quickened her step. She was damn well going to find out everything that was going on here. Drawing closer to the security office's front door, she heard a rustle of movement at a nearby window. Calling her vectors to defend herself, she caught sight of Daisuke aiming a pistol in her direction from the window.

"Relax," Lucy said quickly, "it's just me. Lucy."

"That doesn't exactly make me want to relax."

"If I'd wanted to kill you," she replied irritably, "I could have done it easily on that rooftop."

"You're not winning me over…"

"Daisuke…" came Nana's voice from further inside.

Daisuke sighed and slowly lowered his weapon, stepping away from the window. Lucy resumed walking, opening the door which creaked loudly, and stepped inside.

The room was poorly lit from the little moonlight outside that managed to break through the heavy clouds. The faint light illuminated a ghostly scene of a modern day ruin. Amidst the haphazardly arranged desks sat Nana, her eyes downcast as though lost in thought. Daisuke watched Lucy carefully as she entered the room, his pistol still held loosely in his hand. Nana looked up at the sound of Lucy closing the door behind her, and stood.

"I jammed the rooftop access on my way out," Lucy said, "they don't know which way we…"

Lucy was interrupted by Nana rushing towards her, and throwing her arms around Lucy.

"Lucy," Nana said tearfully, "I'm so glad to see you again. I thought I never would."

Stunned, Lucy hesitantly returned Nana's embrace, deciding to postpone her questions for the moment. The gesture from Nana was alien, and completely at odds with what Lucy had grown accustomed to. She found herself speechless for it. Relief finally washed through her at Nana's safety.

"Nana…" she whispered. It was the best she could do.

"I'm so sorry," Nana wailed, her voice muffled in Lucy's coat, the words pouring out, "always wanted to tell you that. I've been terrible to you, but I don't hate you. Not even angry anymore. I…"

"Nana, you don't have to do this right now, please, it's okay. I'm just glad you're alright. I know you've been through a lot."

She really did. Lucy could see the scars and bruises on Nana's face even in the dark. Unfortunately, Lucy did not have to imagine what Nana had been through. She knew all too well.

"Just afraid if I don't say it now, something could happen and I'll never get another chance."

"Nothing's else is going to happen to prevent that," Lucy said, "I'm here now. It'll take a hell of a lot to make that happen, between the two of us."

Nana held her more tightly, and Lucy closed her eyes. She truly hoped that Nana would still feel this way when the immediate danger had passed, and the adrenaline had thinned out in her blood. Nana's words meant a great deal to Lucy, and she wanted…needed…for them to be real. Guilt followed those feelings, as they often did. Even if Nana meant what she said, it couldn't undo what Lucy had done to her. Lucy was sure she would never quite forgive herself for that.

Lucy opened her eyes to look in Daisuke's direction. He had averted his gaze back to the window, and his pistol was holstered.

"Thank you," Lucy said to him, "thank you for helping Nana. I guess I owe you one."

Daisuke looked back towards Lucy, and Takashi's memory came once more, fresh in her mind as if that long gone battle had only just happened. She had wondered what Takashi had been thinking that night. She wondered what was going through Daisuke's mind now.

"Alright," he said, "then maybe you can answer a question. Not many guys I know that had a shot at talking with the infamous Lucy. Suppose I shouldn't waste it."

"You want to know 'why' right"?" Lucy said, once again, remembering Takashi, who seemed to be an ever present ghost in the room. Lucy wondered if he was still alive, and around somewhere.

"You want to know why I killed so many people? People you probably knew?"

No reply. She had known what his question would be. It was a fair one.

"Another of you asked me something similar once. I'll tell you the same thing I told him. Because I didn't want to die."

Lucy looked down at Nana, who was still holding onto Lucy, though not quite as desperately now, "as for recently? I'm doing it for her, for my family, my friends, the people I care about. I've done it because you people don't just get to decide our fates and punish us for things we might do. You all think I was the aggressor but you're wrong. It was all of you who pushed first, ever since I was a child. All I ever did, was push back harder. If you're expecting me to apologize for that, then you're going to be disappointed."

Daisuke turned away.

"Fair enough," was all he said. She mentally kicked herself as she heard a somber note in his voice. She hadn't meant to be so cruel, even if she was angry with the soldiers. A lot of men died between herself, and Angel, back at the Institute. Some of them might have been people Daisuke considered friends. She knew not all of those soldiers were so cruel and judgmental, and this one had saved Nana's life. She could afford to cut him some slack.

"for what it's worth," Lucy said, her tone softening, "I never wanted things to be this way. I don't want to kill my way to a peaceful life. That's all I've ever wanted. All we've ever wanted. People just don't seem to give us a lot of other options though."

Daisuke sighed, and flicked his gaze towards Nana, "yeah." He seemed to let the matter drop with that.

"So," he said, "what happens now?"

Lucy gently pushed Nana away from her.

"Nana, what happened to Mayu? Why isn't she with you? Tell me what's been going on. We've been worried sick."

Nana took a deep, shuddering breath, trembling slightly. She turned her head towards Daisuke who stepped closer to her. Nana took an involuntary step backwards towards him, as she looked in Lucy's direction once again. Something definitely going on there.

"It's a long story," Nana said.

"And I want to hear it all," Lucy said, brushing tears from Nana's face, "start at the beginning."

"Well," Nana said, "we were walking home from school…"

* * *

><p>They were too late, that much was painfully clear.<p>

Bando surveyed the now derelict building that he and Mayu had tracked the Institute's soldiers to. It was a complete mess from the looks of things. Chunks of the building had been blasted away as though by explosions, but Bando could not see any fire burning, or explosive residue. The destruction was clearly recent, and not due to prolonged disrepair. The snow had been falling all night, and yet scarcely had time to completely cover the wreckage. His first thought was that perhaps Nana had escaped, and caused the destruction on her exit, but Bando wasn't so sure of that. Judging by most of the debris being indoors, it was obvious that the assault had come from outside, not in. He just couldn't make sense of it.

"They're gone," came a despairing whisper at Bando's side. Mayu stepped slowly past Bando, stopping as a gust of cold wind blew. She wrapped her arms around herself against the cold as the wind blew her hair and coat about.

"We're too late…" she said sadly.

"Definitely too late for something," Bando said distractedly, "just not sure for what."

"What do you mean?"

"Looks like this place got hit. Hard. No bodies though, at least not outside," Bando drew his magnum, "come on, stay close."

They approached one of the destroyed sections of the wall, Bando's pistol at the ready. Drawing closer, Bando could hear faint sounds of crumbling debris, and water dripping from somewhere inside. They were likely near the part of the building where the basement door was located, as the sound of dripping water seemed to come from below the closer they got. It would be as good a place to start looking around as any. Stepping carefully over the crumbling section of wall, he attached a stolen gun-light to his pistol, turning it on as he looked around for the basement door. After a moment, Mayu tapped Bando's shoulder, pointing at an open door in a hallway he had not been looking at. It appeared they had been thinking the same thing.

Moving quietly, they reached the basement door, Bando stopping to listen for any other sounds which might betray signs of life. Hearing nothing, he shared a look with Mayu before quietly moving downstairs. At first glance, the basement appeared to be empty. After a moment however, Bando recognized the burnt husks of portable Institute power generators, their self destruct mechanisms already activated to prevent sensitive Institute tech from falling into anyone else's hands. They must have been in quite a hurry to leave if they had chosen to do this, rather than simply take them along.

A horrified gasp caught Bando's attention, who whirled around, aiming in the direction Mayu had been looking. Her eyes were wide with shock and horror, her hands covering her mouth. It did not take long for Bando to realize the reason for that horror, starkly illuminated by the gun light.

The wall before them was liberally stained with blood. A pair of handcuffs hung from a pipe just above the grim wall.

"Oh…my God…" Mayu whispered, her hands trembling. She looked up at him, "Bando…"

He reached for her with his other hand as he stared in anger and disgust. This had to be Ghost's work…the son of a bitch. Bando swore once again that he would rip the black heart right the hell out of his chest. Mayu clutched the front of his jacket with both hands, burying her face in his chest. He stroked her hair, doing his best to soothe her.

"Bando…" she said tearfully, "you don't think…"

"No," he said quickly, and forcefully, "I don't. Not enough blood to make someone die of blood loss."

He took a quick look around, relieved by what he did not see.

"No blood trail. Whoever this was, did all their bleeding right here. Like I said, there's not enough here to suggest a bleed out."

Bando knew that what he was saying didn't necessarily mean anything. The victim could simply have been killed elsewhere, or another, more bloodless method could have been used. Choking a person to death didn't typically lead to any bloodshed, but death was just as sure. His rationalization had mostly been for Mayu's benefit, and for the time being, she seemed to accept that answer.

"Let's get out of here," Bando said quietly, "check upstairs."

He knew at this point that they were most likely just looking for bodies, but there was no reason to say it aloud or suggest it through his actions. After all, he could be wrong about that. He hoped like hell that the Institute still considered Arakawa useful enough to keep alive, or else they had virtually no chance to stop Red Sky. That sentiment he also decided to keep to himself, as he knew Mayu's main concern was Nana. It wasn't that he didn't care what happened to Nana, but they very badly needed Arakawa's expertise, or else all of this would be for nothing.

Leaving the basement, they came across what appeared to be a lobby, with a staircase leading up. Footprints were everywhere, stamped into the years of accumulated dust upon the floor. This room was faintly lit from distant streetlights, giving everything that was not lit by Bando's gun light, a haunted quality. He reached back to make sure Mayu was still close, and began to ascend the stairs slowly.

The silence around them made their every soft step seem like distant thunder. Each time something crunched under their feet, Bando could swear the sound could be heard a block away. Sweat gathered in the palm of his hand as he gripped his weapon tightly in suspense and anxiety. He had a nagging urge to shout, simply to fill the void of silence with something human and alive. The building felt to him like a cold sepulcher. He had slept in many places like this during his wandering years, but he had never gotten used to what they were like at night. As they moved further down one of the hallways of the second floor, Bando felt Mayu gently clutch his jacket.

"Bando," she whispered, "I don't like this. It's too quiet…"

"Well what do you expect? This part of the city's a graveya…"

Wait…she was right.

Bando recalled hearing crunches of debris, as though by footfalls, during short periods of time when he and Mayu had been standing still. He hadn't thought about it, having tuned the noise out as being in the background. It was this realization that sharpened his senses enough to notice a shadowy movement in his peripheral vision. Almost as if someone were aiming a…

"GET DOWN!" Bando screamed.

He dropped to one knee just in time for the gunshot. Bando could feel the bullet sailing over his head as he aimed his own weapon towards the source of the muzzle flash, firing twice into the room it had come from. With his gun light, he could see the two .50 caliber rounds tear apart the body of an Institute soldier, who slammed against the wall before falling dead. A flicker of movement prompted Bando to aim his weapon towards the ground where he noticed another soldier sitting. The second soldier dropped his pistol immediately and raised his hands in surrender.

"Don't shoot!" he cried out.

Bando took a moment to catch his breath, and steady his nerves from the sudden violence that had just taken place. The man had had a clear shot at him, why didn't he take it?

"Why didn't you try to help your friend?" Bando asked. The soldier motioned with his head towards the gun he had dropped on the floor. It appeared the slide was stuck.

"Gun jammed," he said.

Bando let out a huff of laughter, "well, isn't this just your lucky day? Don't they teach you morons proper gun maintenance?"

Bando motioned for Mayu to enter the room, backing them both against a corner so nothing else could sneak up on them.

"The fuck were you two still doing here? Looks like your friends took off out of here long ago."

"Just woke up in here a minute ago. Can't believe they just left without looking…"

Bando felt Mayu brush past him to stand before the soldier. Her fists clenched, and fury in her eyes.

"Where are they!" Mayu screamed.

Bando did not bother to rein her in. After everything she had been through, he knew it probably felt very damn cathartic to demand answers from someone. Of all people, Mayu was entitled to it.

"What?" the soldier stammered in a pathetic attempt to feign ignorance.

"You know who the hell I'm talking about!" she screamed again, her voice reaching an almost frenzied pitch.

Bando stepped forward and pressed the gun barrel against the soldier's left eye, casting the room in near darkness. The soldier grimaced in pain from the residual heat on the barrel.

"Believe she asked you a fucking question asshole. Either you've got an answer on those lips, or a prayer."

The soldier spat at Bando's feet.

"Fuck you, you know what? Shoot me. What makes you think I'll betray my brothers?"

"Because you look green as hell, and I'm willing to bet you've never been through a real interrogation before."

"What?"

Bando pointed the pistol at the soldier's knee and fired. A scream of agony tore from the man's lips as his knee exploded in blood and bone. His agonizing screams were quickly muffled by Bando's hand over his mouth. Mayu had backed away rapidly when Bando had fired the gun. Bando cursed himself at his impulsive act. He didn't want to do things like this in front of Mayu. He knew well enough that Mayu was no stranger to violence anymore, but killing in self defense, or the defense of others was one thing. Cold blooded torture was quite another, and that's exactly what this was.

Bando looked over towards Mayu, to gauge her reaction. He had expected to see horror, but saw only quick recovery from being startled. It was only the gunshot that had frightened her, not the soldier's pain. That much was obvious enough as Bando could still see the anger in Mayu's eyes. Guilt flooded through him in that moment. He felt like he was ruining her soul by inches, or perhaps by miles at this point, but what else could he do? The soldier emitted another loud groan of pain.

"Shut the hell up," Bando growled, "you're an Institute soldier, show some balls."

_And stop helping me fuck that poor girl up goddammit. Just shut up._

"You…motherfucker…"

"Just tell us what happened to the women you took. Do that, and we walk. You can call your 'brothers' up to wheel your sorry ass to a medic."

"Bullshit, you'll kill me no matter what I do."

"He's telling the truth," Mayu said, stepping forward. Her expression had softened somewhat, though her eyes were still hardened with that singular principle that she and Bando had learned from one another. Mercy, without forgiveness.

"Where are they?" Mayu asked again, calmer this time. The soldier's eyes fixated upon her, staring silently. Bando could see the man recognizing her as a check on Bando's violence, and believed, at least, in her. They made a good team, Bando thought with grim amusement.

"I don't really know," he said finally, "last I heard, they were taking that scientist chick back to the island for treatment. Ghost messed her up pretty damn bad."

"So she's alive?" Bando asked.

"Like I said, last I heard yeah. Whether or not she survived the trip…" he shrugged maddeningly. Bando suppressed an urge to smash his face in anger.

"The basement," Bando said to Mayu, who merely nodded her acknowledgement. He could see Mayu's shoulders relax somewhat at the knowledge that it was not Nana's blood on the wall. Despite the soldier's vague information regarding Arakawa's current health, he felt relieved that there was still a chance. If her injuries weren't too terrible, and she survived to the medical wings of the Institute, she would receive expert care and be back on her feet in no time. Bando tried not to think about the Herculean task of breaking Arakawa back out of the Institute a second time, if it were even remotely possible at this point. It was difficult enough when they had not been expecting attack, and Bando understood that there had been other emergencies going on at the time which made even his first infiltration successful. Now that they would be prepared for attack? Later…they would figure that out later.

"And what about Nana?" Mayu asked the soldier.

"Who?"

"The Diclonius girl," Bando clarified. The soldier spat angrily upon the floor.

"No idea. One of our own guys turned on us. Removed the vector nullifier. Goddamn monster hit us with those vectors, and that's the last thing I remember…"

"Don't you DARE call Nana a monster!" Mayu shrieked, the anger back in her eyes. This time, Bando gently touched her shoulder, motioning her to step back somewhat, which she did.

"So she just knocked you guys out?" Bando said with a chuckle, "some 'monster' she turned out to be huh? Didn't kill you when she could have done it easy? I've got to hand it to her, she was kinder than I would have been. Were it me in her place and I had those hands, I think I would literally shove your heads up your asses."

"Fucking blow me."

Bando laughed, truly relieved. So Nana was still alive. His mirth seemed to be somewhat infectious as Mayu visibly relaxed. Bando reigned in his humor quickly however. Nana and Arakawa were both alive, as far as they knew, but it still didn't solve the very real and frustrating problem that one would be impossible to reach, while the other was somewhere in Kamakura, lost to them.

"You said one of your guys busted her out of here," Bando said, "who is he? Where might he have gone?"

"Don't…can't really remember…fuck my leg hurts man…you goddamn son of a…"

"Faster you answer, faster you get help. I'm not like Ghost, I don't do this shit because I enjoy it. Now talk!"

The soldier took a few moments, thinking.

"Think…guy named Sato. Daisuke Sato."

The name sounded somewhat familiar. Though Bando often kept to himself, he did remember a few of the men he used to work with. Mostly, he remembered the ones who showed themselves to be fanatically loyal to Ryota, as Ghost had appeared to be, though he was an extreme case. Bando was pretty sure he remembered meeting Daisuke, though he couldn't remember much about him. He was a good kid, which had been something Bando once looked upon with disdain, but he was also a good soldier, as they had all been. If Daisuke was indeed one of "Ryota's men", then it did not surprise him that Daisuke had a crisis of conscience. He figured there had to be more to it than that however. Institute soldiers did not just rebel like that unless pushed to some kind of extreme, Ryota's man or not. His vision unfocused for a moment, in which he saw the cruel scene of a wall caked in dried blood.

He had a feeling that probably had something to do with it.

_Ghost, you have no idea just how badly you fucked up. Daisuke's only the first. You better be watching your back motherfucker. _

He noticed something on the soldier's arm. A familiar insignia, wraithlike.

"You're Ghost Squad?" Bando said suspiciously, "I don't recognize you."

"Had to reform, after that creature butchered the old one. We're The Martyred now. Everyone who was left alive that night."

Bando remembered Ghost that night at the Institute, being carried to safety by Ryota. He had been unresponsive, as if badly traumatized by something.

"Lucy must have really done a goddamn number on you huh? Surprised she let Ghost live."

The soldier coughed, "no…wasn't her. Wasn't Lucy. Another one. Came here from Rome a few days ago."

Another Diclonius? And this one had decimated Ghost Squad by herself? Not that he didn't imagine such a feat would have been beyond someone like Lucy, but Bando had known Ghost Squad to be professional warriors, and Diclonius hunters. It was still an unnerving thing to consider.

"Bando," Mayu said, "we should get out of here."

"Hang on," he replied, suddenly interested in this other Diclonius, "what happened to that other one?"

"She's one of the reasons we're out here. We don't know what happened to her. She killed a whole lot of people on her way out of there. We were pulling out to investigate what happened to the last team that got sent out to her last known location. None of them checked back in. Brass thinks they were killed to a man."

There was frustrated anger in the soldier's face. Bando was finding it hard to sympathize.

"Ever consider you're all just getting what you deserve?" Bando said, "you know…'you reap what you sow', and all that shit?"

"Yeah…well what about you huh?"

"My day's coming soon enough."

No reply. Bando had not expected one.

"Last question," Bando said, "what happened here? Looks like this place got attacked."

"I don't know. I was here, unconscious and not being collected by my squad," he said bitterly.

Bando turned towards Mayu, "let's get the hell out of here."

He motioned for Mayu to leave the room as he turned back towards the soldier, "if you've got any sense, the first chance you get, you'll get the hell out of the city."

Reaching towards the floor, he grabbed a radio that had fallen just out of the soldier's reach, tossed it to him, and left the soldier behind. Bando and Mayu left the building, their walking simply a blur on Bando's consciousness. He had known things were getting out of control already, but the conflagration of events were just getting worse and worse. He had no earthly idea what he was going to do now. They had lost Nana, and Arakawa. They were without any real way to stop Red Sky, and very soon, Kamakura would become an inescapable deathtrap with no place to hide. He sighed…he just didn't have a choice anymore. They had tried.

He looked at Mayu as she walked companionably beside him, and felt his heart fill with emotion for her, and a strong measure of pride. She had become so strong since he first met her. He could see it in her walk, her eyes, her voice. Everything about her seemed to radiate an agelessness that came only from overcoming so much strife. He placed an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him as they walked, mercifully not asking any questions about what they were going to do. She knew it had to be weighing on his mind, and knew she would only trouble him by asking. He marveled at her wisdom, her insight…

"Mayu," he said quietly, and with resignation.

"What is it?" she answered, a sudden tension in her voice as though she sensed bad news was coming.

He sighed and stopped walking, turning to face her. Bando brushed the lengthening hair from his own face to see her clearly.

"It's time for you to go home."

Panic immediately flared up in her eyes.

"What?"

"If Nana's still out there, she'll either go two places. Back to Arakawa's apartment, which is probably crawling with Institute men by now. I don't see that happening, so she'll probably go to the place you both live. It was Maple Inn right? You told me that once. I think I know the guy she's with. She'll be alright with him, he'll get her there safe."

"Bando no, please don't do this…"

"You have to go back home. Get your family the hell out of Kamakura before JSDF locks it down."

"Bando we can still do this! We can still come up with a plan! God…please don't tell me to go…"

A tear fell down her face, cutting a slice in his heart.

"We're out of options Mayu, I've got no more ideas. There are only two ways we might possibly ever have a chance to stop that weapon. One is if I go with you to Maple Inn, and enlist your friends for a full frontal assault on the Institute to bust out Arakawa, and complete the antivirus. Or perhaps find and destroy the weapon itself. Even as powerful as Nana and Lucy are, the Institute will be ready this time. Some of us won't make it out alive. Maybe none of us. Do you want that?"

More tears fell from Mayu's face as she shook her head, "then come with us Bando, you can come with us. We can just run…please…"

He took Mayu's face in his hands, brushing her tears away with his thumbs as he shook his head sadly. She placed her hands over his and held tightly, as if through her own physical strength alone, she could make him stay.

"The other option is to take a chance. I'm going to turn myself in. Let them take me back to the island. I know Ghost will want me alive…for a time."

"NO!" Mayu screamed, flinging his hands away and grabbing his jacket in fists, "no you don't Bando! You won't! You're going to give yourself to that monster? YOU CAN'T!"

"Mayu, listen to me…"

"Goddamn you Bando! I won't let you!"

"Listen!" he shouted. She kept holding onto him, her body trembling.

"If I can get in there alive…there's a chance…a small chance that maybe I can do something. Exploit a weakness, perhaps get Ryota on our side. Something, anything. There's a chance that it could work, and I'm more willing to risk myself then all of you. If any of you die, it'll devastate your family. No one will mourn me if I fail…"

Mayu slapped him as he said that. The sting caused Bando to realize that not all of Mayu's strength was in her spirit.

"I will! how can you say that to me?"

"I'm trying to do the right thing here Mayu. I know it sounds like shit, and I'm not so good at it because I haven't done it a whole lot in the past. I never really would have believed I could be this person. You taught me to be that person Mayu. If I never come back, I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate what you did for me. You brought me back from a dark place I thought I'd always live in until I died a meaningless death. You're the reason my life means anything at all. I'd do anything to thank you for that."

"Then come with me…please Bando, I love you so very much…"

Bando reached in his pocket and retrieved two 9mm ammunition clips he had taken from the dead soldier while they had been talking to the other one.

"Take these," he said, holding them out to her, "the other guy had these on him. Also had a .45 but it's better if you keep shooting something you're used to shooting. The .45 isn't a 'man stopper' anyway, and your 9mm will be just as effective."

"Bando…"

"I also want you to have this…just in case."

As she placed the clips in the bag she was holding, he removed the Desert Eagle from his waist, flipping the heavy pistol around until it's grip faced her.

"No goddamn way I'm going to let those assholes take my baby. I'd rather it stay with you. Don't ever use it though. You remember how rough the kick on that thing is?"

Mayu fought to keep from sobbing as she simply stared at Bando, refusing to reach for the pistol. He hated seeing her like this, and yet…

_I think I've always wanted this. Someone to care whether I lived or died. Someone who would cry for me when I was gone…_

…_God…I'm so sorry Mayu. I'm so sorry I'm doing this to you._

"Take it," he said, struggling to keep his own voice carefully neutral.

"You promise me something first Bando."

"If I can."

She stepped towards him and rested her fingers on the grip of the pistol.

"You come back for this. Promise me you'll come back for it."

He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair, brushing her cheek, and neck.

"I won't do that Mayu," he saw disappointment in her eyes before he continued, "if I come back, it won't be for this. I'll come back for you. I love you Mayu."

She smiled sadly, "you didn't promise."

"Don't want to lie to you Mayu. Swore to myself I wouldn't do that anymore."

"Well do it, just this once Bando. Lie to me. I need to hear you say it."

He looked deeply into her eyes and paused for a moment to take in every detail of her, not wanting to miss a thing as he took his mental photograph. Her tears had ceased and that strength he had become accustomed to seeing was back in her eyes. It made her so beautiful. As the clouds began to disperse with the coming dawn, the fading moonlight illuminated her in such a way that seemed dreamlike. That's exactly what she was, a wonderful dream in the waking nightmare of his wretched life. The light seemed to make her glow. He knew it was more than just the light.

"I promise," he lied, "I'll come back to you, if I have to tear the building down with my bare hands to do it. No matter what I have to do, we'll see each other again."

She closed her hand around the gun and pressed her lips against his own, lingering for a time which seemed like hours, yet were only seconds. She stepped back slowly, and eased the pistol out of his hand.

"Thank you," she said with a forced smile, "now, was that so hard?"

They allowed themselves a few moments more to simply stand there in each other's company before Bando forced himself to move.

"I'll take you as far as Maple Inn," he said, "don't want to trouble your family with my presence as something else you have to explain. You can just tell them you escaped, whatever you want to. But before that, come with me. We need to stash that bag somewhere safe. You won't be taking it with you when you leave. Arakawa will need that if I get her out."

"When you both get out."

"Right…of course. When we both get out…"

He couldn't just accept defeat this way. He realized that that was what Mayu was trying to impress upon him. He was expecting to die at the least, and fail at the worst, before he even began. That was not Mayu's way, and it shouldn't be his. He did not want to leave this world with lies on his lips for the woman he loved. She deserved better than that. She deserved better than all of this.

_No fucking idea how the hell I'm going to do this, but somehow, I'll keep my promise to you Mayu…_

…_no matter what it takes…_

* * *

><p>Lucy felt faint from all that she had heard.<p>

With Daisuke watching the window for any would be pursuers, of which Lucy doubted there would be any, she sat at one of the desks with her head in her hands, trying to make sense of everything that was said. It seemed completely unreal that so much had been going on without her, Yuka, or Kouta's knowledge. She had felt horror that something like Red Sky even existed, and tried to imagine how she would have reacted to just see the sky darken one day with the color of blood, like some sort of celestial judgment was about to come down on her alone. Her, and those like her. For the Institute to consider using something like that, they must be desperate. That scared her more than the revelation of the weapon's existence. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about its sabotage. She hardly owed the human race any favors, but realized that its long term effects would be devastating to even the people she cared about. She hadn't realized Kakuzawa was that much of a maniac. She hadn't been surprised to learn that delusions of grandeur ran in the family, but she had clearly underestimated his level of insanity. Power just wasn't enough for some people. For those who craved it, they always imagined that there was some higher level they could reach, if they just acted drastically enough.

So Nana, the strangers she mentioned, and Mayu, had been trying to put a stop to the weapon without getting her, Kouta, or Yuka involved. Lucy had been initially upset because of all the worry they had been put through, but she understood the decision to keep them in the dark. If she had been in Nana's position, she might have done the same. Apparently, however, it had all gone wrong just before Lucy showed up. The group was separated when they had gone to Kamakura High to retrieve some things for one of the strangers, a scientist that Nana called Akane. Unfortunately, much of the plan had hinged on this woman, Akane, and from what Nana told her, they had taken Akane back to the Institute.

When Lucy had mentioned going back in force to get her out, Daisuke had vehemently protested. He told them that due to their losses, the Institute was recalling many of its soldiers that resided in the Kanagawa Prefecture, back to active duty. It wouldn't bring their numbers back to what they had been three years ago, but it would most likely be enough to frustrate a rescue mission. Not to mention, he added, that there was some talk of incoming reinforcements from an Institute facility in America. No one seemed to know if they had already landed in Kamakura or not. Lucy found it interesting that Daisuke, an Institute soldier, did not know that.

Lucy thought of Angel. No matter the Institute's strength, surely the combined might of herself, Nana, and Angel would be enough to smash any opposition they would come up against? She wondered if Angel would be willing to fight the Institute. She clearly had no love for it.

When they reached the subject of Mayu, as far as Nana knew, Mayu was in the care of another stranger, a former Institute soldier named Bando. Lucy was perplexed when Nana, who could not quite look her in the eye, told Lucy that this soldier knew her. Evidently, he was a man Lucy had done some grievous personal injury to, but that wasn't enough to really trigger Lucy's memory to put a face to the name. She had hurt a lot of soldiers after all, and she was sure not all of them had died. Regarding Bando, he was a fugitive of the Institute, and Lucy hoped that despite what she had done to him, they could at least put it to the side for the moment in the face of their common enemy. The main issue with those two, was that there was no way to track them the way Lucy had been able to track down Nana. Mayu was with a man who knew how to stay off of the grid and out of sight. As much as it relieved her to know that it meant Mayu was safe, it also meant she was just as unlikely to find her as the Institute was.

Nana had recounted, tearfully, her treatment by a terrible man she knew only as Ghost. When Lucy heard his physical description, anguish ripped through her. He had been the soldier in the hall who reported her presence at the Institute. She had stupidly held back when she should have killed him. Nana had asked her what was wrong. Lucy had deflected Nana's concern, unwilling to admit her mistake, and simply asked her to keep talking. As Nana continued to tell of outrage after outrage, Lucy noticed Daisuke staring blankly towards a wall, occasionally clawing a hand through his hair, unable to meet the eyes of either woman. Lucy was sure that hearing the truth about his squad leader's sadism was not an easy thing to sit through, considering he had been taking orders from the man until only a few hours ago.

Probably the most alarming bit of news Nana had spoken of, was Bando's belief that very soon, if it had not already happened, Japan's military would finish establishing a perimeter around Kamakura which would prevent anyone entering, or leaving. Her thoughts had immediately gone to Kouta and Yuka. They couldn't stay in the city if something like that was about to happen.

They also couldn't let the Institute use its weapon unopposed. Even if they all ran to the far corners of the earth, it would only be a matter of time before the world came to a very real end, in their lifetimes. Lucy had just gotten Kouta back, and had no intention of just running away to live on borrowed time. If only she had known what was happening when she'd discovered Kakuzawa at the landing. If only she'd understood what that device had been. So many missed chances. She had so many opportunities to end so much potential suffering. She couldn't help being angry at herself, even for the things she had no way of knowing about at the time.

What was done, was done. But what to do now? Lucy felt helpless in the face of their problems, and had no idea what to do.

"Lucy," Nana whispered finally, after a long moment of silence. Nana had been sitting across from her at the desk where Lucy sat. She looked up at Nana and tried to hide the anxiety in her own face. Thank God it was dark.

"What's up Nana?"

"I didn't ask you, because I didn't think about it until now, having so much to tell you. But, what…were you doing at the Institute?"

"Giving another of our own a second chance." That was as much as she would say in front of Daisuke. She understood that Angel had not been kind during her escape. Certainly not kinder than Lucy herself had been, tearing her own bloody path to freedom.

Nana had grown somewhat pale as Lucy said that.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked her.

"The other one…so that was the other one I felt…"

There was a hint of fear in Nana's voice. From that alone, Lucy understood that Nana had indeed sensed Angel's presence at the Institute. Nana wrapped her arms around herself.

"I'd never felt anything like what I felt in her Lucy," she said quietly, "not even from you when we fought. You can't imagine the hate that's there Lucy…the rage, the…scorn…and…I just…I can't even describe it, or make sense of everything I felt. Whatever it was felt deep like an ocean, and as vast. I felt so small before it…insignificant."

Nana's words chilled her. That nagging voice in her mind that told her she had made a mistake was starting to grow louder.

"Did you speak to her?" Nana asked.

"I did."

"What…was she like?"

Lucy sighed as she searched for an explanation, "I can't describe that any better than you can describe what you felt. One thing stood out though: conflict. It's strange though. It's like she herself doesn't even know what she's conflicted about, and is trying to find out."

"It was you wasn't it then?" Daisuke chimed in finally, taking a step towards her, "Westmore seemed to suggest to anyone listening that the visiting director, guy named Vanith, was involved in her escape. But it was you. You let her out of there."

His tone was challenging. Well that was just fine, Lucy was up for it. She got to her feet and stared Daisuke down.

"That's right, I did. I imagine you're angry about the price she extracted for being chained up like a dog all those years, without a better reason than that you're all human, and she wasn't."

Nana stood up next, turning her gaze to both of them beseechingly.

"Please, not again, not right now!"

Daisuke turned away, clawing his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Sorry Nana I just…I know that it wasn't right but…Jesus…do you expect me to just forget the blood and bodies? You're going to have to give me some time with this. Maybe we were wrong about you two, but I've got a hard time believing THAT monster wasn't exactly where she belonged."

"Hold on," Lucy said, "what was that about a visiting director? And who is Westmore?"

"We've got two directors left down here, both of them foreigners. Westmore is the American. The other one is an Italian named Erich Vanith. Vanith is the guy who brought the other Diclonius with him. Number five."

Lucy's memory shot back to the well dressed man she had come across during her infiltration of the facility. He had been coming from the holding area where Angel had been imprisoned.

"_Why can't I just let you go? What have you done to me?"_

She remembered Angel's sudden fury at Lucy's simple statement.

"_There has to be someone out there you want to see again."_

"_You could say that…"_

It was that man in the hallway…Erich. Lucy was sure that that was his name. There was little doubt in Lucy's mind that he was the one Angel wanted to see again. For revenge perhaps? Could that be what was really keeping her in Kamakura? Why wouldn't Angel just tell her that? It hardly seemed like the kind of thing Angel would feel compelled to conceal.

"Why would this Westmore think that Vanith would be responsible for her escape?" Lucy asked, still halfway lost in her own thoughts.

"I don't know, but he was pretty vocal about some weird suspicions he had. All the guys were talking about it. Westmore didn't say it outright, but there was some talk that Vanith was…involved…with number five, if you get my meaning."

"What, so he was raping her or something? Why would he help her escape if that were the case? Unless he had a death wish."

"The way I heard it, there was no rape. Get what I'm saying now?"

Could it have been possible? A consensual relationship between master and slave? Lucy knew from Nana's example that not all relationships between handler and Diclonius were bitter ones. But if there was indeed such a relationship, why the sudden rage when Lucy had asked Angel that question? What drove it? Lucy suddenly wanted to find Vanith. Perhaps he would have more insight about Angel. The gods knew Lucy couldn't figure her out, and Angel was somewhat less than forthcoming about certain details.

All at once, Lucy realized that she was no longer comfortable with Angel's proximity to Kouta and Yuka. That nagging voice became ever louder.

"Is Vanith at the island facility right now?" Lucy asked.

"No. He went out with a team to go recapture number five, but I don't know if they succeeded or not. I've been trying to listen in on radio chatter but I guess they changed the frequency almost immediately after we left that building. They're not on any of the regular channels so I couldn't pick up any new information regarding Vanith. All I know is that he was somewhere in the city last I heard."

So much of this seemed strange. Whoever this Westmore person was, he was curiously willing to overlook the obvious possibility of a Diclonius intruder setting a Diclonius prisoner free. He had to know that Lucy had broken in, and that she wouldn't have done so without a reason. His reasons for overlooking that possibility, however, didn't particularly interest Lucy as much as Angel's connection to this other man, Erich. Lucy was becoming more and more convinced that he was the reason she was still in the city, not Lucy. If that were true, why the deception? Was it a deception? Lucy did get a sense that Angel's interest in her was not exactly as superficial as she was determined to have Lucy believe.

"Lucy," Nana said worriedly, "what's wrong?"

_Oh nothing, except that I may have endangered the only real family you or I have ever known if I've been wrong all this time about Angel._

"I need to tell you something Nana…"

"She's there isn't she?" Nana whispered, understanding immediately. Worry showed upon her face.

"I had my reasons for taking her in," Lucy said quickly, "I'm just not so sure now that they were good ones."

It didn't matter anyway. In any event, Kouta, Yuka, and Mayu could not stay in Kamakura. Lucy hoped beyond hope that things would work out, and they would run into Mayu, before Kouta and Yuka got on a train to anywhere but here. The Institute wanted only their wayward Diclonii. Perhaps in a worst case scenario, knowing where all three of them were would be enough to convince the Institute's leaders to postpone the launch of that weapon. Maybe they could be convinced of their weapon's sabotage. They needed to come up with some way to remove Red Sky as a threat before they did anything else. Once it was out of the way however…

"We've got to get Kouta and Yuka out of here," Lucy finally said.

"What about Nana?" Daisuke asked automatically, "and…you," he added after a moment.

"It's us they want, not them. Our family has suffered enough because of us, and this is our fight anyway. It always was."

Lucy stood up.

"Nana, go back home and tell Kouta what's going on. Tell them I said to start packing so they can get out of the city…and make sure…nothing happens to them."

Nana looked knowingly at her, understanding what she meant by that. Lucy wanted Nana to keep an eye on Angel, just in case. She hoped like hell she was worrying for nothing. It seemed like every decision she had made over the past few days had been terrible ones. If anything happened to Kouta…she would never forgive herself. She had to be sure if Angel could be trusted, which seemed silly as the thought crossed her mind. The simple fact that she had doubts at all told her that Angel probably could not be, but Lucy couldn't help remembering how she herself had been, newly freed of the Institute's grasp. She had started out cruel and resentful, but with her continued exposure to a better life, Lucy had managed to find herself. Perhaps it could still happen for Angel. In the meantime however, Lucy knew she could not get the answers she needed from Angel. She had already tried.

"What are you going to do Lucy?" Nana asked.

Lucy now knew that there was at least one person out in the world who could give her the answers she needed. One way or another. She looked in Daisuke's direction.

"Could you tell me where Erich Vanith was going?" Lucy asked. If he was out there in the city looking for Angel, and Angel was still free, then it was possible that Erich was still out there somewhere as well.

"I can, but I don't know what good that's going to do you. By the time you get to where he went, the chances of his still being there alive are practically zero."

"Please, I have to try. There's…just something I need to know."

Besides, she thought pragmatically, if she could get to Erich before the Institute did, he was a potential bargaining chip. It could make getting to Red Sky, and stopping it, so much easier than taking on the bulk of the Institute's military might. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was the only one she had.

"Alright," Daisuke said, removing a worn out city map from a vest pocket. He walked over towards the table Lucy was standing near, and opened it in front of her. He pointed at a spot which was circled by a marker. It was in what looked like a small residential area, which was quite some distance from their current position, but a few hours walk from Maple Inn. So close…

…and why had they picked that specific place to begin their search? There was no indication of a general area of search, just this one particular house. Something wasn't right…

"That's where the other team was going. Like I said, beyond that, I don't know anything more."

"Thank you," Lucy said, "could I take this?"

"Sure, I know my way around well enough."

Lucy folded the map and pocketed it. She noticed with a start that she could see quite well in the room now. It was already dawn, and the morning light that filtered through the scattered clouds illuminated the small security office. Upon noticing the morning light, Lucy let out a yawn. She was rather exhausted from staying up all night, as she was sure they all were, but they just didn't have time to rest.

"Take care of her Daisuke," Lucy said to him, "and…thank you for helping her escape. I forget that not all of you are bastards. Just most of you," she offered him a small smile, and hoped like hell she wasn't making another mistake trusting him. Nana seemed to, so for now, that was good enough for Lucy.

"Back at you…Lucy. Don't worry, we'll look after one another."

Lucy walked around the table to Nana and took her face in her hands.

"Low profile Nana. Just get back home, and get them ready to leave. I'll be with you before nightfall."

Nana stepped forward and hugged Lucy.

"That goes for you too Lucy. Hurry back."

Lucy stepped away.

"Nana…tell Kouta I love him, and that I won't be long…and…tell him…tell both of them, to be careful around Angel."

"Who?"

"The…other one. The one I set free."

Something occurred to her then. Angel had told them she was going to help find Nana and Mayu. Why hadn't she come with Lucy? Surely they both had felt Nana's panic through the mental link. Perhaps Angel assumed Lucy would need no help?

Or maybe Angel was looking for Erich. She had to go. Now.

"I'll see you both tonight," Lucy said.

As she turned to leave, something else occurred to her, something she had to ask.

"Daisuke?" Lucy said, getting his attention.

"What is it?"

"You…wouldn't happen to know the name 'Takashi'…would you? He was an Institute soldier."

Daisuke thought for a moment, "can't say the name rings any bells. But if he's still around here, he's probably being recalled to active duty."

She had hoped Daisuke had known him. He was another one she wanted to see again, and warn of what was happening. Though it was indirectly, Lucy had swept him up in her troubles as well. If he was really being recalled, then it seemed inevitable that they would meet again. She hoped that she would.

"Alright. Let's all get going. And be careful, both of you."

She rushed out of the room before either of them could reply. For some reason she couldn't explain, she hadn't wanted to hear them say their goodbyes.

As though they would be their last.


	28. Forbidden

Yuka woke abruptly from a restless sleep.

Lifting herself with her elbows into a sitting position, she stared straight ahead numbly for a minute or so, blinking to banish the last traces of dreams from her mind. She was already starting to forget what they were about. Dreams were funny that way sometimes. Mere moments after waking from them, it was difficult to recall even the slightest detail. She could recall only the memory of having known so completely what it was she had dreamt. She could also recall feelings, what she had felt while experiencing those forgotten images. This time, it had been fear. Yuka was glad that she couldn't remember her dreams, and felt that perhaps the mind deliberately forgot some things in order to protect itself. As if exposure to the memory was like being without shelter in the midst of a hurricane.

Kouta…what lay within the eye of his personal storm?

Thinking of him, she wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes, pretending as she sometimes did, that it was him holding her. It was an almost daily ritual. Some days, it was enough. Others, it just reminded her of what she would never have. Not for the first time, she wished she could just move on, but a decade of unrequited love was not easily cast aside. Sometimes, it only made her desire for him something furious, where she wasn't sure if she loved him, or hated him for not loving her the way she wanted him to. Then there were the mornings when she'd wake up thinking of that rainy afternoon. Those were frustrating beyond belief, and on rare occasions, made her seriously consider ambushing Kouta when Lucy was not around and…

Yuka would scold herself in those moments. It wouldn't be right for her to do something like that. She was really just torturing herself by staying, having him so near. Days ago, she had told him she wanted to leave. She had known she would never go through with it. Yuka drew her knees up and rested her forearms upon them, heaving a sigh. She needed to cast off her dream world and face the day. Throwing the blanket off of herself, she stood up and shuddered loudly as she adjusted from the warmth of her bed, to the comparatively cooler room temperature. She'd feel better once she went to the bathroom and threw some water on her face. She'd be thinking more clearly then, and there was plenty she wanted to think about.

One of those things was that strange man who had come back with Kouta the other night. Erich. The moment he had walked through the door, Yuka's hackles had gone up. There had just been something in his eyes, it was gone in an instant after he had looked in her direction and offered his greetings. It was a transition of personality, and it chilled her. She had seen similar workings in Kouta's eyes back before that awful night when Kouta had come back with a wounded Nana, and the news that Lucy, who Yuka had known as Nyuu up until then, had disappeared. With Kouta, the transition was unconscious; his mind protecting him from harm. With the stranger however, it had been deliberate, conscious. It made Yuka feel uneasy, and while she did get a sense of honesty in Erich's awful story, the fact that she had witnessed that transition of personality made her feel like there was more to it. Something he wasn't telling them. Perhaps he had good reasons for holding back. Or perhaps things weren't what they seemed. Considering that that was a common theme with pretty much everyone she had met since she was reunited with Kouta, she was more inclined to go with her instinct on that. She was secretly glad that Kouta had not extended an offer for him to stay the night, and even more glad that Erich had not asked.

Another was that Lucy had not returned home last night. Or perhaps she was home now and simply got back after Yuka had fallen asleep. She and Kouta had waited up for as long as they could stand it, before sleep took them both. Though if she were honest with herself, waiting for word from Lucy was only half the reason she had kept herself awake. Last night had been an extremely rare moment where there was no one else around but herself, and Kouta. Alone together…

They had passed the night talking, mostly of Nana, Mayu, and Lucy back when she was Nyuu. She knew that it was their way of comforting one another so that they did not have to think of the possibility that Nana and Mayu might never be found. Little by little however, the conversation began to shift from the three girls, to herself and Kouta. They talked almost as if they were getting to know one another all over again, and Yuka had relished it. They teased one another over childhood memories, and even some recent ones. Yuka had been careful not to steer the conversation too close to certain things, such as the murder of their family members, or the rainy afternoon they had kissed and shut out the entire world for a few breathtaking, blissful moments.

Well…she had been a little less careful with the latter topic.

"_I've got to admit," _Kouta had said as they both laughed about Yuka's notoriously short temper, _"sometimes I miss 'punchy' Yuka. I was just starting to get used to it."_

"_You're just saying that because I haven't hit you lately."_

"_Well what about the other…"_

"_With a closed fist."_

"_Oh, right."_

They had laughed together again at that. It was a musical sound. Yuka loved to hear his laugh, and loved the smile that went with it.

"_Well," _Yuka said, _"I'm not sure I miss her. I thought I had knocked you out at the shrine, remember? I felt so terrible about that. I still do."_

Kouta had laughed, though somewhat nervously, _"well, I hadn't meant to stare at…well…you know?"_

Yuka had blushed, casting her eyes down. Then suddenly, inspiration took her, and she looked back up at Kouta.

"_So you weren't looking because you wanted to?" _Yuka chuckled as she reached for a cup of water she had poured for herself earlier, and stared into the liquid as she ran her fingers across the glass, _"your eyes were about to fall out of your head. I think you meant to look, a little bit."_

"_Yuka, I swear, I…"_

"_Is it so hard for you to admit it?"_

She had said the words in a teasing manner, smiling as she did so and returning her gaze to Kouta. She knew deep down that she should not be having this conversation with him right now, but she couldn't stop herself. She remembered the conversation she had had with Angel last night, and found herself asking the question over and over, why she had not simply taken Kouta when she had the chance? She had spent so much time wanting to be sought by him. She had never considered making any advances herself. Angel had so quickly pinpointed the problem, as though it had been plainly obvious. Yuka wished it had been as obvious to herself before it was too late.

"_Of course not," _Kouta said nervously, _"I just thought…you know…that you didn't go for that kind of thing."_

Of course, how stupid had she been? Kouta had considered her inaccessible, at least from a romantic standpoint. She had reinforced Kouta's belief that she was inaccessible through many of her actions. That had to be the reason he was not hers now. After all, he had responded easily to her tentative romantic advance that afternoon at the shrine. What would have happened if she had been a little more confident, a little more direct?

She only stared at Kouta in reply, letting the silence speak for itself. It was so strange, but she felt almost as though she were speaking to Kouta the way Angel might have. Though her conversation with the mysterious woman was brief, so much about her had been striking and forceful enough to imprint itself starkly in Yuka's mind. She was assertive, confident, and direct. It was as though Yuka had been given a glimpse of the woman she wished she could be. Angel had asked Yuka why she wouldn't simply take Kouta. If Angel would have been in her place, Yuka was sure she would have done so long ago. Angel's direct, and difficult questions had affected her profoundly. It appeared that Yuka's own attempt to mimic this conversational tactic was having a similar effect. At least she thought it was.

This was wrong. She wasn't this person, was she? Yuka knew that she should not be taking their conversation in this direction but…

…ten years was a long time to want someone. She ached to feel his lips upon hers again. Just once.

"_Yuka…"_

His tone shocked her back to sanity. It wasn't scolding or condescending, or even indicative that he wanted her to stop talking. It was…

God, she wanted him to say her name like that again. His voice held the tone of realization; of discovering something about her that he did not know before. She knew it did not mean he was considering some tryst with her, which she had been thankful for, at the time. It was the meaningful way he had said her name that shocked her into sanity, and Yuka suddenly didn't want things to go any further. She did not actually want to cross a line. Doing so ran the risk of her never being able to simply enjoy his company alone again.

"_Do you think Lucy and Angel found them?"_ Yuka said, abruptly ending their previous conversation as effectively as if she had dumped ice water upon both of their heads.

The conversation for the remainder of the night had been mostly about their missing family members. It was on that note that they had succumbed to exhaustion and retired to their rooms. Her mind had been in turmoil, lying alone in her bed. Her thoughts of Nana and Mayu, as well as of Kouta.

Moving sluggishly, she stretched her arms in a yawn and felt the bottom of her shift rise up to her thighs, and shivered again as the cold reached those areas it had covered. She tossed her hair out of her face with one hand as she slid the door open with her other one. Her mind was still scattered, but as soon as she could get into the bathroom and wash her fa…

She abruptly bumped into something, and stumbled slightly. Feeling clumsy, she attempted to get her balance when suddenly, she felt hands grip her upper arms to steady her.

"I usually rub my eyes first when I wake up," came the amused sound of Kouta's voice, "that way I don't fall to my death on the way to the sink."

She looked up to see Kouta's face, and blushed furiously. She had stumbled into him. She turned even more red at realizing that he was seeing her in her shift, and little else. Somehow though, she didn't quite mind as much as she once would have.

"Good morning Kouta," she said, "how long have you been up?"

"Not quite fifteen minutes."

"Lucy and Angel…did they make it back yet?"

"Not yet. I'm a little worried about them, but they're both Diclonius so I suppose they can look after themselves…which is what I've been trying to convince myself of for every second of these fifteen minutes I've been awake. It's not going so well."

"I'm sure they're fine."

He was still holding onto her, though with his fingertips, as though he had forgotten his hands were there. Did he forget? Had he been thinking about last night as well? Did he see her differently now? Inches apart. They were standing inches apart, and he had not let her arms go. Knowing Kouta, he probably did not realize what he was doing, as he could really be a bit absent minded about some things. Or maybe he was not being absent minded at all. Could he have been harboring desire for her? She couldn't stop thinking about the shrine in that moment. Had he actually been in love with her after all? Did some ghost of those feelings remain? If only she had reached a little further that day. What if she had not changed the subject last night? What would he have said?

Almost as if he had been reading her mind, he began to drop his arms. Before she really knew what she was going to do, she grabbed his wrists and held him still. The past few days had been a whirlwind of emotion for all of them, and she knew that the recent events had her thinking of Kouta more strongly than she had of late. Maybe it was all happening for a reason.

Deep down, Yuka knew she was just making excuses for her recent forwardness with Kouta. The truth was, she was tired of the almost painful longing, day in, and day out. She was tired of asking "what if?" Especially now that she was quite sure of the reason why Kouta was not hers.

No…she just couldn't go through with this.

"Are you ok Yuka?"

The question suddenly infuriated her.

"You know damn well I'm not."

She released his wrists and turned away from him, taking a slow step away.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to snap like that…I'm just…"

"Look, Yuka. It's alright, I know you're worried too."

She wondered if he really thought that was what bothered her. Or rather, that it was the only thing that bothered her. Either way, it was an out that she was willing to take. She sighed and headed for the bathroom.

"I'm sure they'll be back soon," Kouta said, "I'm going to get dressed. If they're not here in another hour, we can try the police station again. See if they found anything."

Yuka knew there would be no point in doing that. If the police had come up with anything, they would have called, or come to the inn by now. Kouta was just trying to put her mind towards a purpose so it would not be on the worry she felt. She silently thanked him for it, knowing she could probably use the walk and the fresh air. She turned and offered him a smile, which he returned before walking away to his room down the hall. As soon as Kouta had turned his back, her own smile fell as she turned away to finally throw the stupid water on her damn face. Maybe she'd just take a shower. It wasn't like their problems were going anywhere.

She rounded the corner, and had touched the bathroom door with her hand when…

"You were doing so well," came a familiar, seductive drawl from behind Yuka, "what went wrong?"

Yuka turned around to see Angel leaning against the wall, watching her with a knowing smile upon her face. Her outfit was different than the one she had first arrived with. Now it was a long, heavy black dress which seemed to be crudely reveling even though it covered most of her body. Angel was still wearing her combat boots with them, which Yuka found to be an odd juxtapose. As that thought entered Yuka's mind, she wondered suddenly where she could have gotten it. It wasn't like Angel had shown up with luggage bags.

"You've been stealing your clothes," Yuka said plainly.

"You've been stealing moments," Angel replied back, her smile growing wider.

Angel had been watching them. Yuka suddenly felt very ashamed of…

"Don't you dare," Angel said softly, yet vehemently.

"What?"

"Shame doesn't suit you. Rise above it."

Angel pushed away from the wall and took two steps towards Yuka until they were inches apart. As she and Kouta had been.

"Look at me," Angel said gently, tilting Yuka's face upwards so that she was looking into Angel's eyes. Once Yuka was looking at her, she realized that she had not really looked at Angel before. Not at her eyes anyway. She would surely have remembered such a striking, piercing gaze. Her eyes were like Lucy's, the color of blood, but the similarities very definitely ended there. Lucy's eyes held shadows and reticence from time to time. Angel's gaze made her feel as though she were being laid bare.

"First, let me put your mind at ease about something, so we might talk a bit more…openly," Angel said, "it would appear your lost ones are safe. When last I saw Lucy, she had only just located them. I thought to come back and deliver the news. Better that they are reclaimed by a familiar face. I expect you will see them soon."

Yuka let out a sigh of relief. Thank God they were alright. Angel's words unwound a painful knot that had been in her stomach for days.

"Thank you," was all Yuka could say. It was a woefully inadequate expression of her gratitude. Angel slowly nodded her head once in acknowledgement of that which Yuka could not express.

"Now," said Angel, "what are you going to do with your last moments alone with him?"

"I…" Yuka began, but stopped herself. She had been about to deny knowing what Angel was talking about. Somehow, that just seemed like a silly thing to do, considering the fact that she had all but confessed to Angel of her deep, selfish desires for Kouta just the night before. Now, as before, she felt strangely liberated at not having to hide from Angel, who clearly had not judged her harshly. Could she talk to her about what she was feeling inside? She had to talk to someone, because those feelings were starting to surface in what Yuka considered unhealthy ways. She couldn't explain why she felt such a kinship with the strange woman, and so quickly after meeting her.

In a way, she felt that perhaps it was so easy precisely because Angel was a stranger, and an astute one besides. Those who knew her, would never understand. At worst, they would be disappointed in her. At best, they would pity her. She couldn't bear either. Maybe she was right. Maybe things did in fact happen for a reason. Maybe Angel's appearance in their lives had been for a reason.

Yuka sighed, and let go.

"Nothing," she answered mournfully, "I'm going to walk in that room and tell him Mayu and Nana are safe, and will be home soon. I'm going to bask in his relief and his happiness, and hope he is stricken with the sudden urge to sweep me in his arms in the heat of that moment," Yuka wrung her hands and wanted to cast her eyes downward, but Angel held her gaze, somehow refusing to let Yuka look away even though she was not doing anything more than looking at her. She felt a lot like she was falling, without a sense of direction, as she spoke.

"And if he does, then I'm going to pretend that he's really holding me because he wants to. Because he wants me. And when he lets go I'm going to try really hard to remember what that will feel like for as long as I can hang on to the memory."

She felt like crying, hearing aloud her own pathetic…

"What do you WANT to do?" Angel asked quietly, "what do you really want to do?"

She had a million questions for Angel. Did she have a home to go back to? How long had she been locked away? Why did she seem to care about what clothes she wore and how did she develop her sense of taste in them if she had been locked up for a long period of time? Nana had come to them with an almost newborn understanding of the world. Why did Angel carry herself like someone who had lived in it?

All those questions, and more, swept away by Angel's one simple question.

"I…"

She wanted to answer her, but she couldn't quite make herself do it. As though voicing it would cross some invisible line she had set for herself. A threshold she swore she would not cross, because she knew once she did, there was no going back.

"Is it his walls that keep you out?" Angel asked, "or your walls that hold you back?"

Yuka finally looked away from Angel, turning her head towards the hallway leading to Kouta's room. She felt weak, both physically and emotionally. The feeling scared her.

"It's been so hard," Yuka said in a near whisper, "ten years. I've been in love with him for ten years. Even during all those years when we were apart and he…"

Yuka shook her head and closed her eyes, "I was such a fool. I expected everything to just fall into place on its own when we met again. He slipped right through my fingers…"

"That's because you let him. You reach out but you don't grab hold."

"I did…once. But it wasn't enough."

"Then make it enough."

"Angel, he's in love with Lucy. I can't…and he didn't…"

…_didn't love me anyway?_

Hadn't he? If only she had…done something more.

"So it is your own walls that keep you," Angel said finally, "not his."

"No Angel, he doesn't want…he won't…"

"He does. He will. I was watching, remember?" Angel said with a small smile, "you know what you want. You know it in the way that your lungs know how to breathe and your mind knows how to think. Everything else is peripheral. Everything else is transitory. Your walls have kept you for years. Is Lucy's desire stronger than your own? Simply because she took him before you did? If you walked in that room right now, could you show him something more? Something he had not seen before? Something better?"

Angel leaned closer to Yuka. She swore she smelled blood.

"Did he ever know that he had a choice?"

Angel's words were seductive, and Yuka wanted to go where those words were taking her. Last night, and this very morning, she had stepped right up to the line with Kouta. She felt him waiting on the other side. Would he catch her if she leapt? Reason was evaporating rapidly from her mind.

"You told me you don't want to be kept," Angel said, stepping away from Yuka, releasing her somewhat from the spell of her piercing gaze, "so don't be."

Yuka felt rather like she was being carried along by some strange current on stormy waters of longing, and the heartache of being excluded from pieces of Kouta's life. Although it made her angry, she never pushed him, or made any demands. Maybe she should have.

Maybe she will…

"Angel," she said, wanting to thank her.

"Go, you won't be disturbed," was all she said. It was like the final push, the last feather upon the bridge to send the whole thing crashing down. She took a few steps backwards into the hallway and turned around when she saw Angel begin to walk away.

Even though she was barefoot, she still walked softly, not wanting Kouta to hear her walking down the hall. Or perhaps she did not want to hear her own footsteps, preferring to pretend that she was a ghost in a dream, and that on some level, she wasn't really doing this. She didn't feel quite like herself, but at the same time, she felt more free than she had ever remembered feeling in her life. Reaching Kouta's door, she hoped she could hold onto that feeling.

She knocked twice before closing her hand on the door, and sliding it open. He was by the dresser, wearing dark jeans and a short sleeved shirt. He had been looking for a coat when Yuka had entered the room. He looked somewhat shocked to see that she was still dressed in her shift, but did not comment on it.

"What's up Yuka? Did Angel or Lucy get back?"

He was beautiful, which seemed an odd thing to say about a man, but it was the first word that had come to her mind. She had never allowed herself to really take him in while he was looking in her direction. She only ever allowed herself to do it when she felt he did not notice her doing so. Only once had she ever willingly lost herself in his eyes, and she had failed that day to make him understand the depths of her feelings for him. She had timidly offered the surface. This time, he would have the truth. And so would she.

"Angel did," Yuka said, sliding the door shut behind her without taking her eyes off of Kouta, "she brought good news. Lucy found them. Angel says they're all on their way home."

"Oh my God!" Kouta said happily, dropping the coat he had been holding in his hand, "where…where's Angel right now? How long until the others get here? Did she say?"

"Angel's around," Yuka began to slowly walk towards Kouta who seemed too caught up in his own jubilant relief to hear the years of pent up want in her quiet voice, "she didn't say when they would get here though. Probably not long."

"Well come on, I want to talk…"

"So do I…" Yuka whispered, having reached Kouta finally. At last, he seemed to notice her…REALLY notice her. The feeling was exhilarating. She had craved for him to really see her. If she had only known it would have been as easy as walking to his room.

No…no more talk of "if only". That word had no place in this room.

"Yuka…"

"Kouta…listen," she stepped closer and raised her hand to his chest, "I have some things I need to say, before everyone comes back. This is going to be my only chance so please," Yuka moved even closer and gently pressed herself flush against his chest, resting her forehead on his shoulder, her palm pressed against his heart, feeling its rhythm, "let me."

"What's going on Yuka? Why are you…"

"I want to tell you I'm sorry, for a lot of the ways I acted towards you, after you came back to Kamakura. I expected things from you I had no right to expect, especially knowing what had happened to you," she felt Kouta tense up and Yuka wrapped her other arm around his waist, clutching him protectively, "I knew you remembered. I was always too afraid to ask if you did…"

Kouta was silent, but she felt his breathing quicken, and his heart begin to beat faster.

"sshhh, it's ok. You don't need to protect me from the truth."

"Yuka…yes I do," Kouta said in a strange voice. Yuka disregarded it for the time being.

"I didn't bring it up to talk about it," she said, and felt him relax, "I only did because I wanted to say I was sorry. I had known what you had gone through, and I just expected you to make me your priority when you came back. That was my fault. I had idealized our reunion so much in my mind. I used to think a lot about how it would go. You'd get off at the station and I'd be waiting there. You'd stop and look at me, remembering me as if eight years had not passed. You'd drop your bag and walk towards me…and you'd say 'I've missed you so much Yuka.'"

Yuka hadn't remembered when the tears had started falling. She couldn't make them stop any more than she could make the words stop. She struggled to keep her voice steady.

"Things didn't exactly go according to plan," she said with a shaky laugh. She lifted her head to look at Kouta who looked unsure what to do. She knew he was feeling conflicted, torn between feeling a need to comfort her, and knowing it would not look good for someone to walk in that room to see a scarcely clothed Yuka pressed against him. Somehow, she had a feeling Angel wasn't going to let that happen. At least not without warning.

"Yuka, I had missed you…"

"But not as much as I missed you, and that's ok. You were traumatized by what happened to uncle and Kanae. I should have kept that in mind when I saw you again, but I had been waiting for you for so long. I expected that to speak for itself, and that you were just supposed to know how much I loved you. Then, and now."

During her speech, she had been gently walking Kouta backwards, who had clearly been too scattered to notice what she had been doing.

"I should have told you Kouta. I'm sorry I was so inconsiderate towards you then. I reacted so terribly, and I wasn't honest with you. I expected you to reach for me, but I was the one who should have been reaching for you."

She had finally backed him up into a sturdy drawer which rose to his upper thighs. As he backed into it, he was forced into a sitting position, startled by his sudden loss of balance. Yuka noticed all at once her own quickening pulse, and breath. She felt light headed, utterly out of control, and she wasn't sure she disliked the feeling. She had only gotten a taste of that feeling when confiding in Angel. She felt drunk with its intensity now as she emptied her heart of its decade long burden. Somewhere, deep inside, there was a voice screaming at her to stop this, but it was a mere breath lost in a hurricane.

"Yuka," Kouta said, finally finding his voice, "you know we can't do this."

"Can't I just pretend? For a little while?" Yuka said in a breathless whisper as she raised one of her bare legs to rub against his own until her knee rested on the table at his hip, her other foot still on the ground. She would only need to raise her other leg to settle him between her thighs. The thought of that set her blood on fire.

"Yuka n…"

"You think Lucy wouldn't understand? She knows exactly how I feel Kouta. I know you want me, I can feel it. Is this really so wrong?"

The words she spoke sounded alien to her, like there were coming from someone else's lips. Yuka was past the point of caring however. She wanted him so fiercely that it was physically painful. In a small, rational corner of her mind, she hoped Kouta would stop her. She knew she shouldn't have come here, but she could not stop herself now. She wanted to scream at Kouta to touch her. She wanted him to shake her back to sanity. She wanted…

"Yuka…I'm so sorry for what I've done to you."

What? His words startled her enough to back off somewhat to look at his face.

He had buried his face in one of his hands, looking as though he were consumed in guilt and despair. The sight shocked her as though she had been blasted with a tidal wave of freezing cold water. The storm of desire that had seemed to command her every action simply flickered out of existence like a candle being blown out. What was she doing? What was she thinking? She backed away from him, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Oh my God…Kouta…I'm so…I'm so sorry. I don't know what…"

She felt like she was going to throw up. She felt sick, disgusted with herself. How had she let herself be talked into this?

"No," he said, running a hand through his hair and breathing a sigh of distress, "I'm the one who should be sorry. This is my fault. I…"

Kouta cleared his throat and steadied his breath, "it's not fair, what you've been through with me. It's not fair. I've always known how you felt Yuka, but I..."

Kouta stood up and Yuka backed a step away, not trusting herself to be so close to him, though she was no longer sure if it was because she still wanted him, or because she wanted to strangle him.

"You've always known?" Yuka said, frustrated anger beginning to form in her voice, "then tell me why! How could you kiss me? Hold me like you did that day at the shrine? Then just pretend like none of that ever happened when she came along?"

A sob escaped her lips and she ruthlessly gritted her teeth to prevent more from coming. A different levee was preparing to burst inside of her. Her pent up, unrequited love and desire were not the only things she had been holding back from him, and now that they were spent, only the anger was left. She had always been so careful not to push him on many subjects. So many questions she had not dared ask. Well Yuka had had enough of being silent and accepting silence as an answer.

"Tell me right now that it meant nothing to you Kouta! Look me in my goddamn face and say it!"

Kouta looked in her eyes, and there it was…pity. She suddenly wanted to die. Right there, right that second.

"It did mean something to me Yuka."

"Then why? Was it me? Something wrong with me that you didn't feel you could tell me? God, Kouta I've kept myself up at night wondering why and I never asked you. I can't take it anymore so now I'm asking. Why?"

Kouta sighed and sat back down upon the dresser, looking much like he was considering whether or not to tell her something. Yuka merely waited, wishing like hell that she had some other clothes to put on.

"It wasn't you Yuka. Not really. Never really knew how to tell you this but…"

He paused in mid sentence, as if carefully considering his words.

"Lucy and I…we knew each other long ago. We met right here, in Kamakura, when I came to visit you that last time before…everything that happened."

"What?" Yuka's mind went utterly blank. It just wasn't possible, obviously she had heard him wrong.

"Do you remember when you, me, and Kanae were at the beach? And I tried to tell you about a strange girl?"

Yuka nodded. She remembered everything about Kouta's last visit before the murders.

"It was her Yuka. Lucy was that girl."

"Kouta, that doesn't make any sense. How could you not remember her the instant you saw her again? Was she…like Nyuu…back then too?"

"Yuka, you know why I couldn't remember. I didn't even remember how father and Kanae had died, how was I supposed to remember someone I had only recently met?"

Kouta cast his eyes to the floor.

"Except…I did remember. Somewhere in my subconscious, I remembered her. She remembered me in that same way. Instinctively, but not consciously. When I met her, she was like she is now. Aware of herself. She had…endured…a trauma of her own. It broke her mind and she developed that other personality."

He returned his gaze to Yuka, who was feeling a bit lightheaded at this revelation.

"It was love at first sight, I think. Maybe not for her, but certainly for me. I never felt so strongly about another person. Even though I was so young, I knew what I felt, and that it was real. There was just something about her. It hit all the right notes, she resonated with me, and it had been the same with her. I think when we met again all those years later, even though we couldn't remember one another, our past connection had been so strong that we were drawn to each other on instinct."

He sighed.

"I did have feelings for you Yuka, but they were allowed to develop only because I could not remember Lucy. I know that none of this was fair to you, and I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve to have your heart jerked around that way."

"Why did you wait so long to tell me this?"

Yuka didn't want to talk anymore, not really. She wanted to run away from his room, away from him, away from herself. She never had a chance, ever. She had been so stupid, such a fool.

"Because I just didn't know how."

"That's it? That's your excuse?"

"Yuka…"

"You goddamn son of a bitch…that's the best you can do?" Yuka said quietly, viciously. Angry tears spilled down her face. She needed to get out of that room now before she lashed out at him…

"Uncle and Kanae…you saw who killed them. You remember that too don't you? The same way you remember Lucy."

Too late. The words looked like they had physically injured Kouta who suddenly gripped the dresser drawer tightly.

"Yuka, it's been ten years. The person who did those terrible things is gone, and we'll never see that person again. What good is it to revisit that?"

"Because you know, and I don't. You were there, and they were my family too. You act like YOU were the only one who lost someone!"

Again, she wanted to be stopped. She was taking her own hurt out on Kouta. As miserable as she was, he didn't deserve that. Especially not over this. She felt she was having an out of body experience, unable to stop the unfolding scene before her.

"How can you not want to at least try to have that case reopened? It destroyed you! Christ, can you at least tell me WHY they died?"

He froze up then, looking very much like a trapped animal. She could end this so easily…she wanted to but she just couldn't make herself. Was she really always this weak?

There was suddenly a sound of someone opening the front door to the inn, and a voice calling out. Yuka whirled around at the same time Kouta's own face turned towards his bedroom door. For a second, Yuka swore she had seen a silhouette by the door, as if someone had been standing there…

…listening.

"Yuka, can we finish this later?"

"Yes," she said quickly, thankful that something had happened to end the conversation.

Kouta began to walk towards the door, but Yuka stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Kouta…I didn't mean to…I'm so sorry I…"

"Forget about it Yuka, it's alright."

He smiled at her. That easily, he forgave her that easily. She didn't deserve to even know him. He left the room then, to greet whoever it was, and likely to give Yuka time to compose herself and get dressed. With shame, she remembered something Mayu had once said to her.

"_At the Kaede House, Kouta's the father, and you're the mother…that's how it feels to me anyway."_

Yuka hoped like hell that Mayu didn't still feel that way.


	29. A Glimpse of the Devil

Mayu suppressed an urge to check corners with the gun at her waist as she opened the front door, home at last. The feeling of home and safety had suddenly become an alien concept in the short time she was away.

She felt numb, with none of the attendant happiness that should have come with finally returning home. Bando had kept his word, taking her as far as the front door. Well, not quite the front door. Really he had only gone with her until the inn was in sight, then they said their goodbyes, after a fashion. There had been no tears that time, for Mayu felt drained of them. There had not even been actual goodbyes spoken aloud for that matter. They had already said them the night before. There was merely something unspoken that passed between them in that final moment. One last look, last touch, last kiss. Then he was a shape on the horizon, getting smaller and smaller, turning a corner and vanishing as though he had never existed. She felt like a large part of her had been forcibly ripped from her and cast away.

It was only after his image was no more that she had turned around and walked the rest of the way home. She hoped Bando was right, and she would run into Nana.

Turning back to the door, she slid it shut, "Hello? Kouta? Yuka?" she called out before turning around. When she did, she jumped at the sight of the room's single occupant.

"Lucy?" Mayu began, realizing her mistake almost as soon as she had said the name aloud. The woman before her was clearly not Lucy. She had the unmistakable physical traits of a Diclonius, though her hair was more red than Lucy's. She also possessed the characteristic horns as well. Viscerally, Mayu felt simply by looking at the woman's posture, dress, and small smile, that unlike Lucy who tended to keep her darkness on the inside, this woman likely preferred to wear it on the outside. And with pride.

"Angel," the woman corrected, taking slow steps towards Mayu. It reminded Mayu of a predatory animal, which greatly unnerved her.

"You would be Mayu," she said in a quiet voice, smiling wider when Mayu's back suddenly touched the door. She hadn't even been aware of backing away from Angel.

"How do you know that?" Mayu said, resisting the urge to reach for her gun. It was obvious by Angel's manner that she was a guest here, not an intruder. Or at least she carried herself like a guest. All at once, Mayu realized that she recognized the woman as the one she had seen during her escape from the Institute. She then remembered the horribly mangled corpse she had seen upon exiting the interrogation room.

"Because you clearly aren't the other one…Nana. The hair is all wrong," she said with a wink. The gesture was clearly aimed at lowering Mayu's guard. She could almost hear Bando's response, if he had been here, and drew upon his strength and no nonsense demeanor now.

"Don't fuck with me," Mayu said roughly, the expletive sounding strange leaving her lips, but undeniably empowering. She felt she understood now why Bando swore so much.

"Maybe Kouta and Yuka know you," she surmised, "but I don't. This is my home. A real answer this time please, stranger," Mayu said, emphasizing that last word.

Angel only stared at her, then slowly, looked over Mayu's head to a random direction.

"She'll be here soon though," Angel said, "I can feel her…getting closer."

What? Nana?

"Wait," Mayu said, forgetting her question, "Nana? She's really coming back here?"

If Bando had not already predicted Nana's arrival at Maple Inn, she might have questioned Angel's claim at sensing her approach. Hope surged in Mayu's breast at the possibility. She hoped Angel was not…

…wait.

"You're playing with me," Mayu said, recognizing the distractive tactics of a manipulator. It reminded her of her goddamn bastard stepfather. He acted in a similar fashion as he calmly told her mother lies and half truths that Mayu knew she wanted to hear.

"Playing?" Angel said, returning her gaze to Mayu, "I suppose I was. Forgive me, old habits die hard."

"Or they don't."

"Clever," Angel said, her smile seeming to falter somewhat, "but you're obviously too old for games."

Flattery now. This was also familiar. Mayu had had enough. She did not like what she saw in this "guest". Not. One. Bit.

"Is that what you're doing here?" Mayu began, once more drawing on Bando's strength and letting it reinforce the strength he had helped her find in herself, "playing games?"

"I think…"

"You know what? I don't care what you think. If you do anything to hurt my family, there's a bullet in this gun with your name on it. I don't care how strong you are."

Angel's eyes darkened suddenly and it was like her whole face had changed. It chilled Mayu to the bone. It was even worse when Angel suddenly smiled, and began walking towards the door. Mayu stepped to the side, out of Angel's way.

"I should be going anyway," Angel said, "I expect your friend, Nana, will react similarly to my presence here. Perhaps when Lucy returns and has a chance to explain things…"

"Yeah…perhaps."

Angel slid the front door open as Mayu heard footsteps approaching from further inside the house. Just before Angel stepped outside, she turned to look at Mayu, who ruthlessly suppressed an overwhelmingly strong desire to draw her gun. Those eyes…

She just knew it in her heart of hearts. That woman wanted to kill her. Right there in that second. Mayu could almost feel Angel considering it. She desperately hoped Nana or Lucy returned home soon. There was something terribly wrong with that woman, and she should not have been allowed to enter their home. Mayu blinked, realizing Angel had left, and shut the door behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief now that Angel was gone.

Kouta arrived in the room at that moment and Mayu turned to look at him; her happiness at seeing him again washing away her gnawing anxiety.

"Mayu!"

He was a sight for sore eyes. Wordlessly, she walked quickly towards him as he approached her, wrapping her arms around him when they met. Kouta hugged her tightly, almost painfully.

"Mayu, I'm so glad you're alright," he said.

She allowed her guard to finally go down, and the supreme relief she felt made her realize just how long she had that guard up. Silent tears fell from her face at being home, and seeing Kouta again. She allowed herself to feel, just for a little while, that simply by being here, everything was going to be alright again.

"Not so sure of that," she said in a voice that cracked as she spoke, "but at least I'm alive."

Kouta stepped back, gripping her shoulders and holding her at arms length.

"Where's Nana and Lucy? Aren't they with you?"

"What?"

"Yuka told me that Angel, which you'll meet by the way, told her that Lucy had found you all, and that you were coming back together."

Mayu stared at him.

"Kouta…I didn't even know Lucy was looking for us. I never saw her, I got here on my own."

Why would Angel say something like that?

"Kouta…I already met Angel on the way in. I don't like her, there's something really wrong with that woman. Why is she even here?"

"Well," Kouta said, "Lucy brought her here. She came from the same place that her and Nana did."

Somehow, in a very fundamental way, Mayu doubted that severely.

"What do you mean there's something wrong with her?" Kouta asked, "besides the obvious trauma of…"

"No Kouta, she's not a victim, I don't care what she's been through. This woman isn't like Lucy or Nana. Don't ask me how I know that, but you have to believe me, she's a wolf in sheep's clothing. Frankly, if you ask me, she's not even bothering to wear that sheep's clothing. How can you not see that? You can't let her back here."

"Mayu," Kouta exclaimed, "what's gotten into…"

Kouta's attention was drawn to Mayu's waist.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Look Kouta…"

"Is that a gun!"

"Please listen," Mayu said, raising her voice, "I know I have a lot of explaining to do, and I'm going to tell you everything, I promise."

She had almost forgotten her purpose for coming back home. She had to warn them about what was about to happen.

"I really need to talk to you and Yuka, right now," Mayu said, "where is…"

Yuka stepped out into the foyer, clad in one of the simple yet elegant dresses she was so used to seeing her wear.

"Mayu!" Yuka exclaimed. Mayu stepped away from Kouta and hugged Yuka in greeting.

"We've been so worried," Yuka said, stroking Mayu's hair, "are you alright? Where's Nana? Why isn't she with you?"

"I'm fine, and I think Nana's not far behind me," she said, remembering what Angel said. Despite how she felt about the woman, Mayu still believed that her claim had been truthful.

"Look, I need to talk to you guys. I need to tell you where I've been, and what's been going on."

"Of course Mayu," Yuka said, motioning her towards the dining room, "I'll put some tea on and…"

"No," Mayu said, perhaps a little forcefully, "sorry, just…I'm not. I don't want any right now."

Mayu sighed, why was she refusing to say the words?

She knew of course. She was going to uproot their lives, and telling them would make it real. She didn't want to be the one to do it. She briefly gave in to a childish wish for Bando to have been there to do it for her. But he wasn't here, she was, and she had to be strong like he would have been. He would be disappointed in her if he saw her like this. With that thought in mind, she exhaled once more to steady her nerves.

"We're in a lot of trouble," she said, "this whole city is in a lot of trouble and we have got to get out of Kamakura. Tonight."

"What!" Kouta exclaimed, "Mayu, what are you talking about? Leave Kamakura? Why?"

Mayu walked past them, heading to the dining room.

"Let's sit down," she said, "I've got a lot I need to tell you, and we don't have a lot of time."

* * *

><p>Nana watched as a new blanket of clouds began to slowly shroud the morning sun which had previously shone down upon her and Daisuke during their walk to Maple Inn. She could smell the rain in the air already. It seemed like the weather lately had only two speeds. Bad, and worse. She sighed and hoped it would not rain before they got back to the inn.<p>

Cars occasionally passed them by as they walked together, but Nana had no fear of either one of them being recognized. Daisuke had removed much of the tactical dress he had worn, and he didn't see how anyone would remember his face to connect him with S.A.T. At least not without taking a long look, which passing motorists wouldn't be able to do, if they even bothered to look in their direction. Daisuke told her that considering how slick the roads were, he didn't imagine there would be a lot of drivers looking at anything but the road. The only thing that might make a person look at him, was the fact that without the clothing which would have identified him instantly as a soldier, he wasn't left with much else. It was freezing outside, and Daisuke was down to a gray, short sleeved shirt. While the more exposed shape of his muscled body certainly made him more pleasing to the eye, it was offset by Nana's distress at knowing how cold he had to be. He shivered occasionally and insisted that the cold didn't bother him.

She, on the other hand, still wore her heavy dress, which was quite warm. It might have been considered an identifiable article of clothing for her, if it were not that there were plenty of other women walking the streets in similar garb. It was funny how the dress, which held significant sentimental value for her, was largely non-descript. Her hair was almost completely wrapped up in a headband which Daisuke had on his person so that she would not be identified by her peculiar hair color. Or the horns, of course. As far as anyone making a cursory examination would be concerned, they were just two nameless citizens of Kamakura. Nothing to take note of.

They had walked in silence for a while, both quite nervous that their rudimentary efforts at being incognito, would be fruitless. As the sun rose, that anxiety became ever more pronounced. Maple Inn was just too far away to spend the entire trip sneaking around. If they did that, all it would have taken was one person to see them darting around suspiciously in back alleys, or behind houses, and local law enforcement would bring a sudden end to their trip. After a while however, they had occasionally broken the silence with casual conversation. The more they spoke, the more Nana had begun to relax.

"Ever think about dying the hair?" Daisuke said, choosing another random topic to talk about, "you wouldn't have to wear that thing on your head. Well, maybe still for the horns, but you wouldn't have to wrap your head in a sweaty headband."

Nana smiled, "I don't mind. Besides, I like my hair this way. I always thought the color, and my horns, were kind of cute."

"And they are," Daisuke said, "I've met girls before who spent a good deal of money to come up with that look you've got going on there."

Nana laughed, "I don't think they'd want the trouble that came with having them naturally."

"You clearly haven't come across any of the girls I'm talking about."

Nana laughed again, trying to imagine the person who would willingly trade lives with her for a few physical features. It seemed incomprehensible to her. Not that she disliked her own life, but there were definitely some things she wished she'd never had to go through.

"Can I ask you a question Daisuke?" she said.

"Of course. Ask me anything."

"Why did you become a soldier for the Institute? I've been wondering that since I met you. That place doesn't seem to suit you at all."

Daisuke sighed, and rubbed his arms against the cold, raising his hands to his face and breathing hot air onto them.

"I guess the same reason a lot of the guys wound up doing it. My dad did it. Institute's not really big on the 'outside hire', so they preferred to encourage the enlisted men to consider their kids as potential soldiers. I guess I can see the logic, keep everything in house. Institute pays damn good and treats its private security forces very well. Everyone has better medical benefits than pretty much every other occupation in the world because we had access to the latest technology, and most highly trained doctors in that field. Then there's the fact that local law enforcement tends to look the other way when 'indiscretions' happen with Institute employed soldiers. There were a lot of advantages to working for them. Sure, there's the potential risk of facing an existential threat, but that ship is usually run so tight, that a lot of guys got through their service without ever being called to duty. It's actually a pretty sweet gig, all things considered."

A series of cars drove by, creating too loud a din to talk over, so Daisuke waited until they had passed, and it was relatively quiet again.

"My dad leaned pretty heavy on me to take on the 'family business'. I can understand why he pushed it so hard. The Institute encouraged it anyway, and he knew I'd be set for life if I did. It was his way of taking care of me, since I think he didn't really know how to do it otherwise. We didn't talk much, my dad and I."

He went silent for a few moments. Just long enough for Nana to understand that it was likely a sore subject with him. She decided not to comment on it just yet.

"Got to travel sometimes," he continued, "not too often, but I did. It was interesting work, and it was really top secret. I guess all the secrecy that surrounded us created something of a brotherhood among the guys. A lot of em stayed on just for that reason, they didn't care about the money."

She heard a longing in Daisuke's voice as he said that last bit.

"Like you?" she ventured.

He turned slightly to look at her, then after a moment, let out a huff of laughter.

"Either you're that good, or I'm that easy."

"It's hard feeling like you don't have anyone," Nana said, "growing up in the Institute, I clung really hard to papa because he was all I had. It's funny…I used to think I was the only one who really knew him. Turned out I didn't know him at all."

She smiled sadly, "didn't matter though. I knew I loved him. I think sometimes, you don't have to really know a lot about a person to find out what really matters. Sometimes, you just…know. You feel it, deep inside."

She felt Daisuke put an arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him as they walked.

"When he died," Nana continued, "I felt so alone. I never knew a person could feel so alone. I didn't know what to do. Not even my new family was enough for me. I felt like I lived in a world they couldn't see or touch. Papa had been the only thing that had kept me from being totally alone. I held on so hard to his memory for that reason, and it made me blind to what I had gained in the meantime. I had to learn that it was ok to let go and move on."

"I think I know what you mean," Daisuke said.

"I thought if I was able to just know more about him somehow. Find something he'd written, or recorded, that it would complete me. I did wind up finding something, and it made me feel really happy for a little while, but…it didn't last. I almost let myself be killed because it wasn't enough to carry me when things got really hard."

She thought of Mayu, who had killed for her. It was strange to think of something so terrible being an epitome of a person's love for someone else. The world was a strange place.

"It wasn't a memory that saved me. It was Mayu, the first friend I had ever made, who saved me. I think I realized that she, and the rest of my family, was my papa's real legacy. They are what he wanted for me. What I found out in the world, my new family, and the happiness they gave me, was what he had risked so much for me to have. I realized I didn't need to know anything else but that. I think I understood then that living happy was how I could best honor his memory. He had told me to live happy; that was his last wish for me, but until now, I didn't know how to do that without him. He wanted me to have something he knew he could never give me himself."

"He sounds like he was a hell of a guy."

"Maybe. We didn't talk much…my papa and I," she said, the corner of her lips turning up in a smile as she looked slyly at Daisuke.

He raised his eyebrow at her, as the significance of what she was saying dawned on him.

"Ok," he said, "I've made up my mind. You're just that good."

She smiled and shook her head, "no, you're just that easy."

They laughed together and he squeezed her shoulder affectionately. She began to recognize some of the sights around her, and silently cursed their appearance. She didn't want this walk to end just yet.

"It's only because I think we're a lot alike," Nana said, "I had a feeling about it. I think that's why…"

She blushed.

"Yeah," he said, "me too."

They walked in silence for a while longer, merely enjoying one another's company. She knew once they reached Maple Inn, that it would be like walking back into the turmoil of their present problems. This journey home had felt a lot like they both had taken a rest from their worries, for just a little while. As much as she wanted to see Kouta and Yuka again, she didn't want this to end. Not yet.

"So, is your father still around?" Nana asked, "and what about your mother?"

Daisuke sighed, "well, dad says my mother left when I was still young. I guess my dad had some issues with expressing his feelings, both to her, and to me. He wasn't very good with them, and the fact that he was always working at the Institute didn't help matters. It just led to a lot of problems at home. I was old enough to remember the fights, but not enough to know what they were about. I always wondered why she could have just left without looking back or even wondering how I was doing, her own kid. I still do sometimes. Personally, I always believed there was more to the story than that, or perhaps a different reason other than the one my dad gave me, but I never found out what since…well."

He paused for a moment, "my dad's not around anymore. You know how I was telling you that most guys could make it their entire career without being called to duty or perform operations?"

She nodded.

"Well, dad wasn't one of those. The problem with being officially recognized as S.A.T is that if the city needs you, they can lean on the Institute for support troops if, and when, they need it. Well, there had been some killings in an apartment loft, and they requested some of the Institute soldiers as point men…my father was one of them."

He looked at her strangely before continuing.

"She was just a small child. Dad had no way of knowing she was dangerous. He was trying to comfort her, thinking she was just some traumatized kid who had witnessed the murders. He was the first one she killed. Took his head right from his shoulders…"

Diclonius. Nana, suddenly felt very self conscious about what she was. She was surprised Daisuke didn't despise her utterly.

"I guess I should be glad it was quick for him," he continued, "he didn't suffer. Some other people weren't so lucky when Number 3 escaped containment."

His eyes darkened somewhat, "I can't deny feeling a certain sense of satisfaction when I heard Professor Kakuzawa gunned her down. I never had so much respect for a man then the one who had gotten vengeance for everyone that girl had murdered. But afterwards?"

Nana began to step away from Daisuke, feeling even more self conscious. He tightened his grip upon her, preventing her from doing so.

"I was barely into my teens then, but I was already in the training program. They didn't always tell the soldiers what it was they were guarding. Need to know basis, but they told me because it was my dad who was killed. After I had spent some time being angry, I wanted to know why it had happened. I wanted to know more about the Diclonius. I never got much information, and I didn't really get to see any of the test subjects…"

He grimaced, "sorry. I mean, I never got to see any of the girls often. Mostly it was when they were in transit. I remember how I felt when I'd see them like that, boxed up so they couldn't move, in this thing that looked like an upright coffin, completely shut off from the outside world. I couldn't shake this feeling…that they seemed just so…utterly alone. It would cut through the hate I felt, and it was hard for me sometimes to hold on to how angry I was. I didn't get to know any of those girls, and the distance that was maintained between us, and them, made it easy to imagine that they didn't have feelings like the rest of us. I think that was the very reason the Institute insisted upon that distance. If it hadn't been there, a lot more guys might not have been able to kill them if and when they had to."

"Daisuke…I…"

"Have nothing to apologize for," he said, practically reading her mind, "I'm past that phase where I hated all of your kind for what one of them did to my father. I'm glad I met you Nana. I needed to meet you. For years, I wanted the chance to meet one of your kind. I think deep down, I was hoping you would prove me wrong about the Diclonius. Push me off the fence, you know?"

He turned to her, offering her a smile, "I just never expected to…"

Nana looked back at him and smiled, "yeah," she said, "I know."

Daisuke laughed softly, "world's a strange place, huh?"

"Wonderfully strange," she said in reply. They were getting much closer to the inn, and arrive any time now.

"Daisuke," she said nervously, "could I…I mean…could you…"

She wasn't very good at this kind of thing. Daisuke was the first guy she had ever been attracted to, and she cared a lot about him. They seemed cut from the same cloth in a lot of ways and she felt very comfortable being with him, but when it came to intimacy, she wasn't sure exactly how she was expected to act.

Daisuke stopped walking and turned to face her. She stopped as well, simply watching him. He reached up with one hand and pressed it against her cheek. His hands were cold, but so was the exposed skin on her face, so it did not bother her very much. raising one of her synthetic arms to press her own hand against his, she wished she could feel the touch in her fingertips.

"Anyone ever tell you how beautiful you are?" he asked, "I mean…that was a stupid question wasn't it? I bet you get that all the time. "

He seemed nervous. She found his nervousness cute and couldn't help the small laugh that issued from her lips.

"Actually, I don't," she said.

"Oh, well…you are,"

He laughed nervously, "I'm not really so good at th…"

Stricken by a sudden urge, Nana stepped closer to him until she was close enough to feel his warm breath upon her face.

"Kiss me," she whispered suddenly. It had helped tremendously to know that he had been feeling just as nervous as she herself was. It made her feel less shy about asking him to kiss her, something she had been wanting him to do for the majority of their walk. It was also enough to make her forget that this would be the first time she'll have ever been kissed. For a few moments, Daisuke had stared at her, the breath caught in his lungs.

He finally bent his head slowly towards her and her eyes slid shut the moment his lips pressed against her own. In that moment, the world disappeared and was filled only with disembodied, ambient sounds of wind and passing cars. Even those sounded like they were worlds away, shut completely out by the lightening shock that went through her as Daisuke slowly kissed her. She felt his arms encircle her waist and she felt faint, almost as if she would sink to the ground if he were not holding her up. There was nothing hurried about the kiss so she very quickly found herself able to return it in the same way, the reciprocation being as natural a movement as breathing, which she had to remind herself to do from time to time. She could hear people in passing cars yelling out at them as they drove by. She couldn't comprehend the words, and she didn't care. When the kiss had finally ended, Nana felt almost like complaining at how brief it had been, but realized that they had indeed stood for quite a while doing so. It was fascinating to her how such a long period of time could seem so fleeting.

She looked deeply into his emerald green eyes as they parted, recognizing the passionate storm that lay within their depths. She was utterly speechless, which frustrated her, feeling as though she ought to say something. Instead, she simply rested her forehead against his shoulder and he wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

"These people you live with, Kouta and Yuka. They must be wonderful people to deserve your love and respect. I can't wait to meet them."

She stepped away from him, smiling happily at the thought of her Kouta and Yuka. She hoped they would like Daisuke, though she couldn't see how they would not.

"You will soon, we're almost…"

She almost screamed.

Clutching her head with her hands, she dropped to her knees as she felt the most horrible, terrifying sense rip through her mind like a hurricane of knives. She knew well that she was particularly sensitive to Diclonius auras, more so than Lucy certainly, and she knew she was sensing one now, nearby. What she felt in that moment was a hellstorm of frenzied rage, and a bloodlust so sickening that she wanted to vomit on the sidewalk. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished as though it had never been.

It had come from Maple Inn, there and gone in a moment.

"They're in trouble!" Nana screamed.

"What?" Daisuke exclaimed, reaching behind him for the pistol she knew was there.

"I…come on! We have to hurry!"

She got to her feet and broke into a run, Daisuke following behind. It had to be that other one that Lucy mentioned, Angel.

If THAT was what lay within her depths….

_Oh God…please be alive Kouta…Yuka…please don't be dead…_

This woman, Angel…she was no friend. Of that, Nana was absolutely certain.

* * *

><p>Kouta just couldn't believe everything he had heard. He couldn't believe the terrible things Mayu had been through in the past few days.<p>

As she had spoken, Kouta simply couldn't get over how different she had sounded. In only two days, she had become an almost completely different person, her speech direct and sometimes caustic. Her eyes were harder and she spoke with an almost calm detachment as she relayed the various terrors that she had gone through with Nana.

Probably the worst bit was when she had told them of a man she had shot and killed in the Institute. It had been the only time Kouta thought she was going to cry. Yuka's horror had been visibly extreme as she had raised shaking hands to her mouth. Mayu had not looked at either of them as she told that story, and when she had finished, suddenly stared at them in a way that almost dared them to condemn her for her actions. Mayu had clearly misunderstood their horror, thinking that they had been horrified by her, and not the fact that she had to face a situation as terrible as the one that had forced her to make such an awful decision. Kouta had been quick to make Mayu understand their true feelings, and that they were not condemning her. Mayu had cried then, but silently. Tears slid down her cheeks, but she would not allow herself to wail or sob. That, perhaps more than anything else, was a testament of what she had gone through. Kouta felt horrible for her, and was extremely glad she was back home with them.

Kouta understood Mayu's overwhelming sense of urgency as she spoke. He had no reason to doubt the truth of all that Mayu had told her about the Institute's doomsday weapon, and the coming citywide quarantine. Much of that information had been deductions from an Institute soldier that Mayu spoke of almost constantly during her speech. A man named Bando, who had protected her for the entire time she had been away. Kouta had plenty of questions about that, since it was obvious that she had known this man for far longer than just the past two days. Mayu spoke of him almost reverently, which amplified Kouta's desire to meet this man and get a sense of him. Despite his curiosity, and instinctual protectiveness, he was grateful to the unknown man for helping to get her home.

Kouta had tried to stop her during her speech when she had mentioned Arakawa, a woman he had met before. The memory had been difficult to hang on to, as it had been one of those he had suppressed, but he remembered her for sure now. He had often wondered what became of the jumpy scientist who had obviously covered for him when they had both stumbled across Professor Kakuzawa's body. If she had not covered for him, he was sure the Institute would have come looking for him long ago. He was glad to hear she was still alive, but not so glad to know she was back under the Institute's control. It seemed wrong to think about running when there were people out there he knew, that needed help. Mayu had simply told him that this soldier, Bando, was taking care of it. Mayu seemed so absolutely sure that he would succeed that Kouta did not think of it any further. To Mayu at least, it seemed Bando was quite unstoppable. He was glad that a man like him would be on their side.

When Mayu had stood up after finishing her story, Kouta marveled at how she carried herself now. He could feel an iron will radiating from her, but it had not completely replaced her gentle demeanor. He had been planning to talk to her about the gun she was carrying, but it seemed like a silly thing to do now. She had quite earned the right to carry it, but it didn't mean he had to like it. Guns made him nervous, and that wasn't likely to change for any reason.

"Alright," Kouta said, "so we grab whatever we can take, and we leave tonight. I'll call what family I've got in Hokkaido, and we can head there for a while until whatever's happening in Kamakura ends. But, what about…"

There was a sudden loud sound at the front door. Kouta and Yuka stood up in a panic. Mayu drew her gun.

"Stay here," she commanded. Kouta blinked in surprise at her tone. Before Mayu could leave the room however, they all heard a shouted voice from the front door. "Kouta! Yuka!"

It was Nana! Mayu's eyes lit up instantly, and she put her gun away, rushing in the direction of the front door. Kouta and Yuka quickly followed behind. When Kouta reached the foyer, she saw Nana and Mayu in a tight embrace, both girls crying with happiness at being reunited. Behind them, at the open door, stood a man who looked about Kouta's age, rubbing his bare arms against the cold. He smiled warmly upon seeing them.

"You'd be Kouta and Yuka? Nana's told me about you two. It's good to meet you."

Kouta noticed again the fact that he was wearing a short sleeved shirt. The shock of seeing Nana returned to them had completely made him forget that fact.

"You must be cold!" Kouta said quickly, "come in, shut the door."

He understood that this man had come with Nana. In a dim corner of his mind, he recalled Mayu's words of warning against another stranger that had come home with a member of their family. He knew he probably ought to be more suspicious of strangers, but he decided to suspend his judgment for the time being. After all, this man was outnumbered, and in a room with an armed woman, and a Diclonius. Kouta was pretty sure they'd be safe around him.

"I'm Daisuke," the man said as he stepped inside, closing the door, "I came here with Nana, but I guess that's pretty obvious huh?"

Nana disengaged from Mayu and walked over to Kouta and Yuka, hugging both of them in greeting. Yuka brushed tears from Nana's eyes.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Yuka said, clutching Nana in another hug.

Kouta walked towards Daisuke and noticed Nana watching him from the corner of his eye.

"Well yeah," Kouta said, answering Daisuke's question, "it is a little obvious. So you're friends with Nana?"

"I am," he answered, "and…" he paused looking at Nana, "do they know about…?"

"They do," Nana said, "you can tell them." Kouta was confused. Daisuke looked back at him.

"I'm a…former Institute soldier. I'm sure you don't have a whole lot of nice things to say about them, and you'd be mostly justified in your opinions. I promise you though, I'm not so much of an asshole."

"I heard about you," Mayu interjected, "from a soldier Bando was…talking to. They're not happy with you defecting."

"No kidding?" he said with a smirk, "and here I thought I could use them as a reference for my next job. Oh well, shit happens I guess."

Mayu laughed, and Kouta relaxed. He found himself taking a liking to the stranger. It was different from when he had met Angel. That time, he felt as though he were under a spell. He didn't get a sense that there was anything under this man's sleeves. And on that note…

"I don't know if you have any other clothes," Kouta said, "but I have some jackets that might fit you. You're a bit stocker than I am so I'm not sure if they will."

"I'd be grateful," Daisuke said, "feels like I can't clench my damn fists I'm so cold."

"Daisuke, we could have found something for you on the way back," Nana said, walking back over to him, "I didn't realize it was so bad for you. I don't feel the cold as much as others, so I forget what it's like."

"Come on Nana, I was kind of busy trying to show you what a tough guy I am. What was I supposed to do? Complain?"

"You're complaining now," she said, smiling.

"Well that's because you like me now, so I think it's safe to spring it on you that I'm a big baby. That's not a deal breaker is it?"

Nana laughed and shook her head. Her face suddenly fell, as if remembering something.

"Kouta, where is Angel?"

The ember of dread that Mayu had put into him flared up again.

"I…don't know. She just left a little while ago."

"So she hasn't hurt you guys?"

Kouta thought he saw Yuka shifting uncomfortably. Probably his imagination.

"Why would she do that?" Kouta asked.

"Because she wants to," Nana said gravely, "I felt it on the way back here. Something terrible…"

"Nana…I met her on the way back here," Mayu said, "I know what you mean. There's something wrong with her and we can't let her come back here."

All at once, Kouta remembered the edge in her voice and darkness in her eyes when they had first met. Angel had looked at him as if she had known he saw those things in her. It occurred to him then that she had somehow managed to avoid him for much of the time she had been staying at the inn. Kouta did have a talent for seeing into the depths of a person's being. Could she have been afraid of him finding out what lay within hers?

First Mayu, and now Nana. Both of them were saying the same thing; Angel was trouble. He believed them. He wondered why Lucy had not been able to see it, but then again, neither had he or Yuka.

"What do we do if she comes back?" Kouta said, suddenly frightened at the prospect of her return.

"I don't know what she left to do," Mayu said, "but hopefully, we can be packed, and gone, before she does come back."

Daisuke stepped forward.

"I know a little about this Angel person you're all talking about. Lucy filled in some blanks…"

"You met Lucy?" Kouta exclaimed.

"Yes…I did. That's a scary woman by the way. Have to hand it to you Kouta, you've got nerves of steel being with her."

"Not my nerves that make it possible," Kouta said, "is she alright?"

"She's fine. She went looking for a guy who knows a little about that other Diclonius, Angel. Guy named Erich Vanith."

Kouta and Yuka exchanged shocked glances. There was that name, Erich.

"Who is he?" Yuka said, almost shouting.

"He's a director from an Institute in Rome, Italy. He brought that Diclonius with him a few days ago. Before I defected, priority one for S.A.T was the tracking, and termination of that woman, by order of Erich Vanith."

Ice crawled down Kouta's spine. So he had been looking for Angel, all this time. That had to be it. His "daughter" indeed. What a fool he had been. An Institute director, right under their nose…under their roof…

"He was here…the other night," Kouta said out loud, almost to himself.

"What!" Daisuke exclaimed, "what did he look like? Are you sure it was Vanith?"

"He didn't give his last name. He had short hair, and had been wearing glasses when I met him. Seemed very well kept and well dressed…"

"Christ," Daisuke said.

"…he looked really shaken up by something."

"I fucking bet he was," Daisuke said, clawing his hands through his hair, "he had been with a strike force to take Number 5...er…Angel, down. None of them reported back in, so they're probably all dead. If Vanith is still alive, that must be because she wanted him to watch. I can't think of any other reason why she wouldn't kill him too."

"Kouta…" Yuka said in a shaky voice, grabbing his shirt with one hand. He placed a hand over hers.

"It's going to be alright Yuka, we're going to get out of here."

"And if we're all going to cut and run," Daisuke said, "which I personally think is an amazing goddamn idea, then we need to step on the gas with that. Not only does that monster know where you live, but if Vanith knows, so does the Institute. Does he know that there are Diclonii living here?"

"No," Kouta replied, "he doesn't."

"Well that's a relief, but it still means he'll have one hell of a lead to track them back here if he gets any information about any of you."

"Then we don't have any time to waste," Kouta said, "let's pack what we need and get out of here as fast as we can," Kouta stepped forward and gripped Daisuke's shoulder, "thank you for…just…"

"No need for that," Daisuke replied, "I'm doing this as much for me as for you. Let's just get the hell out of here. You can thank me when we get out of the city."

"Oh!" came Nana's voice from behind him. Kouta turned around to look at her, "Lucy wanted me to tell you that she loves you and she'll be here by nightfall."

Kouta noticed Yuka turning slightly away, and her hands twitch as Nana said the words. Despite that, Kouta's heart filled with pleasure at the words, and relief that Lucy would return soon. He wanted to see her very badly right then.

"Thank you Nana," he replied. He very much hoped Lucy came back before Angel.

He was sure he did not want to know what would happen once Angel returned…


	30. Awakening

The air around him smelled like blood, and fire.

Katsuo looked around him, frightened, lost, and unsure of where to go or what to do. He suppressed an urge to cry as he walked the empty, silent streets, occasionally stepping over mangled corpses. The silence struck a deep, unyielding terror in his heart. He had thought the constant screaming had been the worst of the sounds, but this utter absence of it…this complete silence. This was so much worse. It prevented him from denying the very real fact that everyone in his small town was dead.

…well…not everyone.

They were out there, those creatures who had slaughtered everyone in the town. They ripped his parents to pieces as they screamed, their eyes locked on Katsuo's own. From time to time, the overwhelming pain of their loss cut through the fear that those demons could come around the corner at any moment, and take him too. He couldn't believe he had been able to make it out of his house alive. Perhaps those monsters were simply distracted with all the fun they were having pulling the arms and legs off of his parents. Like they were pulling wings off of a fly. The sound of laugher as it happened twisted his heart. It was innocent, joyous laughter that one would not have distinguished from children at play in a sandbox somewhere. He would never forget how deceiving appearances could be. Never, never, never.

He heard the sound of a large structure being pulled down from somewhere ahead, and Katsuo ran quickly into a nearby building. The building was a general store which smelled of rotting meat that came from the refrigerated section. It had been three days since the violence had begun, and the power grid had been cut on that first day. The overwhelming stench made Katsuo want to vomit, but as he heard the footsteps from outside, he swallowed what little had managed to come up into his mouth. He crawled behind the cash register's counter, and held his hands over his mouth, struggling not to whimper fearfully.

_Please don't look in here. Please don't look in here. Please don't look in here. PLEASE DON'T LOOK IN HERE!_

He shook violently as the footsteps came closer. One of those footsteps came quickly, as if someone were running.

"HELP!" Katsuo heard from outside, "OH GOD! SOMEONE PLEASE! HE…"

His voice cut off abruptly with a strained, unnatural sound. There was a loud thump, and a series of female giggling. Katsuo wet himself, yet again, which was something he no longer felt shame about. It was happening so often that he was simply used to it, and besides, it wasn't like there was anyone alive who was going to laugh at him about it. The only ones alive who would find any amusement with him, would not be laughing at his stained pants. It would be at his headless corpse.

Suddenly, the glass in the shop had shattered, making Katsuo scream against his will. Thankfully, his voice had been muffled by the glass shattering. A large heavy object flew into the store, and smashed against a display of batteries, before hitting the floor heavily. Katsuo could not see what it was from behind the counter, and could not make himself so much as crawl to investigate. Katsuo grabbed at his ears to muffle the sounds of destruction from outside as those beasts slashed and smashed everything that their murderous, ethereal, serpentine appendages could reach. More glass was punched out of the window, and a shard flew into Katsuo's face, cutting his cheek. Fear surged through him as he wondered if they could smell the blood of the living.

After a time, the sounds moved on down the street, and were eventually replaced by that awful silence. It was a town of ghosts, haunted by malevolent spirits of murder and torture. His parents had always told him there were no such things as ghosts, or monsters.

Liars…

Crawling out finally from the counter, he slowly peeked from his hiding place to see what it was that had been thrown through the window. His body began to tremble again as he saw the blood-soaked, headless corpse of a man lying on the floor. Katsuo would have made an observation of him being face down, but his limbs were twisted in awkward ways, and he didn't have a head anyway. Katsuo could smell the man's defecation added with the stink of rotting meat. He had learned on the second day that this happened to people when they died, their bowels suddenly releasing their contents. It was a final insult to the humiliation that the victims endured as they were torn apart to the sound of innocent laughter…

No…there was no such thing as innocence. That was just another lie of the world to make people believe that it wasn't a terrible place of pain and suffering. Just like his parents' lies that there were no such things as monsters. There were, and they were everywhere. Katsuo did not want to stay in this store anymore, with a freshly murdered corpse. It was more than he could take at that moment.

Standing up, he walked on his toes until he reached the front door, and surveyed the scene before him. It was like a massive bomb had exploded right there in the street. Nearby buildings were torn to shreds, collapsed in on themselves. Street signs were impaled in random walls, some of them holding up bodies that had also been impaled by those signs. The roads were cracked as if massive hammers had struck them. The sheer scale of the destruction was terrifying to behold. Why did such creatures exist in the world? It was like their only purpose was to destroy whatever they touched, so why would nature allow them to be born at all?

"Who are you?" a voice asked. Childlike, and female. Katsuo froze in fear, looking slowly over to the sound of the voice.

She stood there with her head cocked, looking at him with innocent curiosity. Her hair, which was in two braids, was long and pink. The horns were prominent upon her head. Her simple, yellow dress was stained with blood and dirt, and she clutched a rag doll to her chest protectively with both arms. The doll looked old and worn, she had to have had it for a while. He wondered who had braided her hair, and given her the doll. He wondered how her parents must have felt being murdered by the creature they had loved until now.

She was barefoot, and Katsuo could see blood on her feet from cuts she had received. Some looked old, while others looked fresh. Noticing the broken glass on the street, Katsuo figured her recent wounds came from there. She simply stood there, looking at him with wide eyed innocence, as he stared in silent shock. He finally found his voice, not really knowing what else to do.

"K…Katsuo."

She smiled then, "I'm Kasumi. And this," she said, motioning to the doll, "is Blossom."

Katsuo remained silent, wondering what it would be like when she did it. Would death be painful? Would it be quick or would she make him suffer? The girl suddenly looked sad.

"Mommy gave her to me," she sniffled, "I miss mommy."

"Where…is your mom?" Katsuo asked stupidly, already knowing the answer, but he felt like as long as she was talking, she wasn't killing him.

"Dead," she said, casting her eyes to the ground and shuffling her bare feet around.

"Do you have a mommy?" she asked, "is she dead too?"

Tears filled Katsuo's eyes, "yeah," he answered, "because of you!"

Suddenly, anger surged through him, and he didn't care anymore what was going to happen to him. He was getting tired of this, being afraid. Besides, he was dead anyway. He hated everything about the girl in front of him, and hated the pretension of innocence most of all. She had no right to pretend.

The girl started to cry silently, sniffling occasionally.

"I didn't mean to," she said, beginning to sob, "I didn't mean it. I thought we were just playing. I didn't hit her that hard…she wouldn't get up. Daddy got mad and he put his hands around my neck, like this," she said, raising both hands to her throat to show him what she meant while holding the doll to her chest with her forearms.

"I got scared, and I hit him. He wouldn't get up. I said I was sorry but he still didn't get up…"

"Maybe you should hit yourself, and see what it feels like," he said angrily, trembling from that anger, and his ever present fear.

His breathing stopped when he saw the vectors emerge from her body. Eight of them, coiling around in the evening sun like ropes of bioluminescent light. This was it, he thought. This was how he was going to die.

"Do you think mommy and daddy will wake up if I do it? That way they'll know I'm really sorry."

"Yeah," Katsuo lied, his voice softening "I do."

Her stare locked onto his, and she gave him a watery smile, "thank you Katsuo…could we be friends? I'm so lonely without mommy and daddy…"

The vectors surged inwards towards her body. Before he could answer, the ropes of light ripped her body to pieces…

* * *

><p>Ghost screamed as he sat quickly upright, waking suddenly from his dream.<p>

He was drenched with sweat and he held that experimental pistol in his right hand. When had he grabbed it? He couldn't remember falling asleep with it in his hand. His heart was racing and he couldn't quite get a sense of his surroundings. He swore he could still smell the blood and fire.

Swinging his legs off of the bed and tossing the blanket off of him, he sat still in the relative dark of his room, lit only by his faint cell phone light in the corner where it was charging. He rested his head in his hand and tried to catch his breath. The dreams were getting worse, and much more frequent. In the past, they had been few and far between. Really little more than flashing images that he couldn't quite remember later. The sight of the ruined town was fresh in his mind now, and every moment of the dream was imprinted solidly in his memory. He was worried that he was starting to crack up. He couldn't afford to do that now, not while things were in such a dire state around the Institute.

Him and his team had been en route to the last known location of Vanith's team when the order had come from the island facility to abort that mission, and return to base. The order had come from Ryota, so he had not questioned it vocally, but he had wondered why they suddenly did not care to know the fate of the strike team, or more specifically, Number 5's status, let alone Vanith's fate. When they had returned, he had been told that JSDF was nearly in position, and S.A.T may be required for tactical deployment to assist in the lockdown. That would not have been possible with their forces still spread out all over Kamakura. It seemed to Ghost however, that Westmore was really just making an excuse to abandon their search for Erich Vanith. Considering the recent rumors floating around, he didn't blame Westmore for the move. A guy like Vanith couldn't be trusted. The only real problem Ghost had had with the order is that he knew Bando was still out there. The score was not settled yet, and wouldn't be until Bando was dead, at Ghost's hands. He wished his men had been there during their fight at the high school. He wished they could have seen Bando's humiliating defeat. There would have been no question then of his superiority to Bando. Not that Ghost really felt there was a question to begin with, but he wanted everyone to see it with their own eyes. No matter, Ghost felt deep down that he would get another chance to prove his worthiness over Bando. Bando was a stubborn, stupid asshole. He would create another opportunity.

The scientist, Arakawa, had been admitted to the medical wing as soon as they had gotten there. Ghost had looked at her bruised and bloodied body with a certain sense of satisfaction as they wheeled her past him. She was softened up now. Their next conversation would be much more enlightening now that she knew he wasn't a man to fuck around with. The men that had been with him, who had seen her wheeled past, had given him strange looks, bordering on disgust. He had looked at each man straight in the eyes, daring them to make some comment or challenge him. All had looked away from him without so much as a word. He was pleased at that recognition of his authority. Theirs was not to understand, but to obey. That was the deal they had made with him as they took the insignia of Ghost Squad, or whatever they wanted to call themselves now. Ghost wasn't going to argue with their new collective moniker. As far as Ghost was concerned, Ghost Squad was dead. These people did not have what it took to replace even a single member of that dead strike force, but if identifying with those dead men kept the living ones in line, that was just fine with him. Still, he did not like the looks he had been given over his interrogation tactics with the woman. They all just needed to grow the fuck up, and fast.

The report that one of the men had defected, infuriated Ghost who took it very personally. This man…this…sympathizer, Daisuke, needed to be made an example of. He chalked that up to a loose end he would tie up in due time.

His debriefing had been conducted by both Ryota, and Westmore, who had shown up during that conversation at what Ghost had considered to be a very inconvenient moment.

"_What information were you able to glean from the scientist," _Ryota had asked him in a coldly professional tone.

"_Nothing of any real consequence," _Ghost had replied, _"she spun a bunch of lies during the interrogation, and was very uncooperative during the entire thing. I managed to determine that her, and the others she was with, were in the commission of a plan to sabotage Red Sky. With her capture, and her group scattered, I'm pleased to report that it is now highly unlikely that their plan has any real chance of success. I anticipate the lockdown will catch the others in its net."_

"_Very good sergeant," _Ryota said, _"Doctor Arakawa was a key target, one of the most important of those you were pursuing. You've done well in bringing her back." _

Ryota's words had filled him with pride. Despite the fact that the rest of his quarry had slipped through his fingers, he had managed to catch the one who was most important. He briefly wondered why Ryota would not consider Silpelit number Seven to be a particularly important target, considering she was the original reason his squad had been deployed to Kamakura, but he decided not to think on it. Ryota had praised his actions. Things did not seem like they could get better. He had beaten Bando, and delivered Arakawa back to the Institute. He was only getting started, and couldn't wait to be let off his leash again. The next time he went out, he would make sure he came back in true triumph. JSDF wouldn't be able to do what he could do. Ghost was determined to show Ryota his true potential.

"_How…is the doctor," _Ryota had asked suddenly, distracting Ghost from his triumphant fantasies, _"I was told she was admitted to the medical wing, due to injuries suffered during the interrogation. Will she be able to answer questions?"_

He had said the words in a neutral, non judgment tone. Ghost had been listening for any hint of judgment, but he didn't sense it. He smiled, of course Ryota understood. None of those other fools understood, but Ryota did.

"_She'll be fine. I don't know if she'll be in a fit state to answer questions for at least another day however. I was going to try again after…"_

"_There will be no need for that," _he had said, cutting across him, _"I will resume the interrogation personally."_

"_Sir, I think…"_

"_She may be more forthcoming if she is questioned by someone else. I imagine she will likely fear your presence there, and a person in fear tends to say whatever they think their interrogator wants to hear, instead of the truth. Wouldn't you agree Ghost?"_

"_Of course sir, you're right," _it made sense really. Ryota always considered all the angles. Ghost would put his faith in that. Arakawa stood absolutely no chance against Ryota's razor sharp mind. He smiled at the thought.

Ryota's eyes had suddenly unfocused at that moment.

"_Ghost,"_ he said, _"was it necessary to damage her in such a way?"_

"_I felt at the time that her resistance was such that it required softening."_

"_So you were in complete control?" _Ryota asked. He asked the question as if he already knew the answer, regardless of whatever Ghost would say in reply.

"_Yes…sir," _he lied, knowing Ryota probably saw right through him. Indignation suddenly filled him. Didn't Ryota understand the measures that had to be taken? He now felt like Ryota was disapproving of what he had done. Perhaps Ryota didn't understand after all.

"_Katsuo…"_

"_My NAME is Ghost…sir," _he had said roughly, _"what would it matter even if I had lost control? I knew I wasn't going to kill her. We're going to put her down anyway, so why does it matter?"_

"_Because…"_

It had been then that Westmore had walked into the room. Ryota's face reverted to a neutral state, which shocked Ghost. He had not even realized Ryota's expression had changed at all.

"_Ah, good. Both of you are here," _Westmore had said, pleasantly.

The conversation after that had been professional once again, with Westmore informing them that their reinforcements would land in a matter of hours, and to prepare for their arrival…and one other thing. They were to prepare to deploy phase 1 of Red Sky. It would launch that evening, after which they would use the lockdown to buy time for the weapon to spread adequately across the cloudline. Westmore anticipated it would take an entire day for that to happen, after which, they had another two days in which they could launch phase 2 and activate the viral compound. When that happened, death would come from the skies, seeking the Diclonius. There would be nowhere for them to hide. Of course, the weapon would kill a lot of other civilians in the process, which was why the wait period was the last chance for Ghost to shine. It would be his last opportunity to personally eliminate the Diclonius threat in Kamakura. He could still end this as a hero. When he finally destroyed the rouge Diclonii, all of his actions will have been vindicated.

Ryota had wanted to check on the scientist, but Westmore ordered him to prepare for the weapon's launch. Ghost didn't understand why Ryota wanted to check on her anyway. He knew where she was and that she was alive. Nothing else was important.

Ghost stood up and walked to the bathroom attached to his room, and turned on the fluorescent light. As it flickered on, he looked at himself in the small mirror. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked exhausted, even though he had managed to sleep. He stuck the pistol in his pants, and turned on the faucet, filling his hands with water and splashing it on his face. When he lifted his face back to the mirror, he saw his reflection again, but it was different. He was smiling smugly now in that reflection, and the mirror image was fully clothed in his tactical gear. Ghost had not been smiling, and was wearing nothing but his pants, and a gray sleeveless shirt.

"You look like shit Katsuo," the reflection said, grinning, "not sleeping well?"

Ghost stared for a moment, not believing what he was seeing. He felt the cold water sliding down his neck and into his shirt.

"No," Ghost answered the reflection, "I haven't been."

"Dreams getting worse?"

"Yeah."

"Memory's a motherfucker like that," the reflection said with amusement, "all sorts of shit you want to forget, but your brain…it doesn't forget everything. It remembers when you're not around to shut its mouth. Like when you're dreaming."

"I'm not trying to forget about what happened. I remember it all the time. Keeps me focused. Keeps me remembering why I've got to do this."

"Shit," the reflection said with a laugh, "you think you've got a handle on things huh? Think you aren't running from shit? See, THAT'S what you can't remember motherfucker. That's what you're trying to forget."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Ask Ryota sometime. Ask him about the shit he's not telling you."

"What?"

"Knock knock Katsuo…"

Ghost jumped as there was a knock at his door, quickly turning in the direction of the sound. He let out the breath he had suddenly taken, and looked back at the mirror, seeing only himself as he was again, in his grey shirt, his face still moist from the water he had thrown upon it. How did…his other self know that someone was about to knock on his door? The knocking came a second time, along with a voice calling his name. Ghost grabbed a towel off of a nearby rack, drying his face, and threw it to the floor as he turned around. Looking at his clock, he saw that it was a little past noon, and remembered that he had specifically requested one of his men to wake him at around this time. Maybe that was how the other self was able to predict it, because he unconsciously remembered that fact. It still didn't quite explain the timing…

Grabbing a black, long sleeved shirt, he threw it on, grabbing his tactical vest off of a rack by the door. He then opened it, staring into the face of a nameless soldier. He fought the scowl that was threatening to appear on his face as he noticed the wraith insignia on the soldier's clothing.

"Sir. Came here to wake you as per your orders."

"Thanks kid," he said, smoothing his platinum white hair with one hand, suddenly self conscious that he looked like he just got out of bed. Which, of course, he had. The soldier was still standing there.

"Is there something else corporal?" he asked him.

"Yes sir…I'm a bit late because we had a situation at the gate."

"What kind of situation?"

"It's Bando," he said, the mention of Bando's name sending a surge of hatred through him, "he just showed up here about half an hour ago."

"Fuck," Ghost exclaimed, "how many did we lose?"

The soldier looked at him strangely, "none sir. He turned himself in."

Ghost just stared, "you're shitting me."

"I shit you not sir. He's on his way to the holding areas as we speak. He's been asking to speak to Ryota but we can't get him on the line for some reason."

"Fuck that," Ghost said quickly, "take me to Bando. I want to speak to him first."

He just couldn't believe it would be this easy. Bando had turned himself in. Ghost resisted the urge to slap himself in case he was still dreaming. Ghost and the soldier began walking down the hall immediately. He was glad he had fallen asleep with his shoes on.

"You tossed him right?" Ghost said hurriedly.

"Yes sir, he didn't have any weapons on him. Or much of anything else."

It had to be a trick of some kind. Bando wouldn't just walk back into the Institute unarmed without some sort of plan. Ghost was damn well going to find out what it was before he was allowed anywhere near Ryota.

And maybe he'd have a little fun with him like he'd had with his friends. He resisted mightily the urge to break into a jog.

How could it get any better than this?

* * *

><p>Arakawa stared straight up, lying on the simple hospital bed. Well…clinic really. She knew full well she was not at a hospital. A fact which both relieved, and terrified her. To be within the belly of the beast once again. It brought up terrible memories of isolation and repeated rape. She took a moment to get a sense of her injuries, which were numerous. Really, she only cared about one thing, and after a few moments, felt sick relief at knowing that Ghost had not raped her during the beating. She hadn't been sure about that as he had torn at her clothes until she was half naked, hanging limply as he broke her bones and split her skin. She cried silently as she remembered it, mostly in flashes as she had repeatedly gone in and out of consciousness.<p>

Dimly, as she thought about her past treatment by Kakuzawa, she wondered if she could still bear children. For so long, she had taken that compound she had created to destroy Kakuzawa's Diclonius seed in her womb. She had known the risk that it might cause permanent damage, but at the time, she had felt it was worth it to avoid the onset of a twofold horror: carrying a child from a rape, and a Diclonius child besides. She was getting used to the idea that the Diclonius weren't all inherently monstrous, but she would have been goddamned if she were to carry the child of that inhuman creature. She had been angry at Lucy for ripping him apart, because she had felt he was their only chance at stopping Red Sky. As she lay on the bed, bruised and broken, having been completely at another man's savage mercy, she felt that if she could live that moment over again, she would thank Lucy for making Kakuzawa's end painful. The son of a bitch. She hoped that there was a hell, and that he was burning in its hottest fires.

She cried out in pain when she tried to raise an arm she had forgotten was broken, to scratch at an itch on her face. It did not feel as bad now as it did then however. That fact made her look at her surroundings more closely. She was plugged into a variety of machines from needles that entered numerous veins, and felt things…working…in her body. She had to be in cybernetics, which was the flagship of the Institute's medical strategy. If something was broken, they just rebuilt it with nanomachines. In most cases, they could use them to bond cracked and broken bones together, almost like mortar, strengthening them in the process. Then there was the rare occasion where an arm or a leg was a mangled, wretched mess. Cybernetic prosthetics took over then, forming an entirely new skeletal structure if the situation called for it. Or with the case of missing limbs, the patient received an entirely new arm, leg, hand, foot, anything they were missing. Even eyes, though she had actually been unaware that the technology had progressed that far until she saw Bando's eyes. It had been difficult for her not to stare at him in awe at the subtle light show of sparkling circuitry. She was almost willing to pay the price to know what it was like to see out of eyes such as those. She had chalked it up to the morbid curiosity of a scientist.

Another rush of pain surged through her body, scattering her thoughts, and bringing them back to the horror of what she had been through. Tears of frustration slid down her face. She had tried to distract herself by thinking of the science of what she was currently plugged into. In reality, the scale and complexity of those devices that surrounded her made Arakawa feel frightened. It was like a scene in a movie where the invalid lay alone, surrounded entirely by the machinery that was keeping the patient alive, serving as a horrid testament to the severity of their injuries. Had he really hurt her that badly? A sob escaped her lips. That sick bastard…that goddamn sick fucking bastard…

She had screamed as Ghost savaged her, but she had refused to cry. All he had gotten from her that night was blood, but not tears. Now that it was over and she was alone, she let them fall, giving into the fear and anguish she had felt. She couldn't hold it back anymore, though she wished she could, as each sob that shook her body caused her more pain. Even when he wasn't here, Ghost was hurting her. She knew that awful night would live on in her nightmares for a long time. It was even worse than Kakuzawa.

Arakawa heard the telltale sound of something deactivating around her, and looked quickly at the machines around her, hoping it was not one of them. The next sound she heard was the hiss of the automatic door sliding open. Hearing footsteps approach her, her breathing quickened fearfully. She couldn't see who had walked in, and knew that moving her body to check would be impossible. It was too soon wasn't it? She had to get better first before he started in on her again. They couldn't…

"P…please…" she choked out, forgetting her vow not to beg. She was weak, feeling drugged, and in so much pain.

"Be still…" came a calm, familiar voice from behind her, "you will only hurt yourself if you don't relax."

She felt a hand press on top of one of her own. She knew that voice, and the sound of it made her want to cry harder. It was him…Ryota. At last.

"Ryota…you…you ca…"

"Akane, be still. Please," she had tried to sit up, but she felt his fingertips press lightly upon her shoulders, gently forcing her back down.

Hearing footsteps again, she turned her head to see Ryota walking around the bed so that she might see him better. Her heart swelled at the sight of him. He looked similar to when she saw him last, dressed mostly in tactical gear, though he had been in the process of removing his equipment vest as he walked, setting it down gently on a nearby chair. He wore only a simple black t-shirt under that, and his hardened, muscular form belied his age. Strands of his long, silvered hair had escaped the elaborately tied ponytail, and hung in front of a face which looked wracked by exhaustion. She wondered if he had slept at all since she had seen him last. From the looks of it, he probably hadn't. Smiling at the sight of him, Arakawa forgot her pain for a moment. She wanted nothing more right than but to throw her arms around him. She had thought of him so much since her escape and for a while as she had lain by herself in agony, she had wondered if she would still feel it was worth it to see Ryota again. She decided right then that it was. She despaired only that Ghost had taken away her power to show Ryota how happy she was to see him.

"I'm so glad to see you," Arakawa said weakly, "I wanted to tell you…I heard what you said, over the radio, after I got out. I wanted to talk back to you so badly, to let you know that I heard you. But it was broken…my radio…I couldn't…"

She felt like there could have been better things to say in that moment, but she felt it was important to tell him that. She had wanted him to know it the moment she heard his voice over the makeshift radio. She fell silent however, at the look in his eyes as he watched her, and listened. In their depths, she saw an old, deep wound ripping wide open. She could see the evidence of that in his face, plain as day. Ryota closed his eyes, and returned his hand to her own.

"Ryota, I'm ok," she said stupidly. She quite obviously wasn't, but she hated seeing that look in his eyes. She had only just been reunited with Ryota, and she wanted to see light in his gaze, not this overwhelming despair. Because that was exactly what she was seeing. Despair. All at once, she remembered the story he had told her about a woman he loved long ago. A woman named Rika, who had come to a terrible end.

Suddenly, she also remembered that these rooms had security cameras. If they saw him…

"Ryota…the cameras…"

"They're off. I deactivated them before coming into this room."

So that was what that sound had been.

"Why," he whispered, his eyes still closed, shaking his head, "why didn't you just run?"

His hand tightened on her own. It hurt somewhat, but Arakawa hardly noticed as she stared at Ryota with unblinking eyes.

"Couldn't," she whispered in reply, using what strength she could to grip his hand more tightly, "I'm sorry," she croaked out.

He turned his head away, eyes still closed. He stood silently for a while, not asking her to elaborate, before opening his eyes again, and looking over her broken body. His examination was slow and unhurried, taking in every bloody stain on the sheets, every bruise, every cut. She could see each moment etching new layers of pain on his face. She didn't want him to hurt. That had not been why she made the decision to return this way.

"Not your fault," Arakawa whispered, trying unsuccessfully to hide the pain in her voice, "don't…blame y…yourself."

It had clearly been the wrong thing to say, as he let out a heavy breath he'd been holding. His other hand trembled and he shook his head sadly.

"You were right about me," he said, "…that night. "

"Ryota…"

"You told me I was still there, in that kitchen. Living that night over and over. You told me I was still living in dark rooms, drinking my youth away to drown the pain. You were right. I believed it to be my punishment. Justice visited upon me for not making the decisions I should have made. For not making them as quickly as I should have made them. Justice for the things I had done in my life until then. I wanted to believe it was proof that balance still existed in the world. If I deserved the unending pain, then I could at least bear it. It was the albatross that I willingly hung around my neck before departing the world I knew on my ship of death. A place where the ghosts of all my sins would haunt me, rightfully, and eternally."

His voice was changed, coming from such a deep place of pain that it made her own wounds feel small and superficial. At least her body would heal. How long had Ryota suffered believing Rika's death had all been his fault? Even worse, it seemed that he wanted to believe it was his own fault.

"But how could there be balance in what happened to her?" he continued, "if such a thing were true of the world, it would have been me that died instead. I think ever since that day, I have been waiting for death to remember me, and take me home."

He went silent, taking a long breath, before continuing.

"You told me I was like a dying man. I did not have the time to think on your words when you spoke them. The only thing that mattered to me was that you escaped this terrible place. But when you were gone…"

He opened his eyes, and looked into hers. His stormy gray eyes were clouded with sadness, and regret.

"I wanted you to never look back to this place. I had tried to dissuade you from such a thing while helping you to escape, but I was a fool. I could feel my soul grow sick once again when you were no longer here. Until that moment Akane, I had not known how far I had slipped away from life. I had not known that I was sick at all, having grown used to it. I felt like a devil that had been given a taste of heaven, and realized I had forgotten what it meant to be alive. I wanted to tell you that you were right about me. I wanted to say the things that were important. I wanted to do what you had asked of me…to make time. So I gave in to a selfish desire to reach out for you when I should have remained silent."

His eyes slid shut again.

"And you came back to me broken…"

Anger suddenly swept through Arakawa. Ryota had used Rika's death as a method of self inflicted penance for so many years, and it had swept away everything good in Ryota's life. Everything he could have had, everything he could have been, and all he could have experienced, gone. His emotional wounds had grown infected and scarred as the years had passed, hollowing him out until there was almost nothing left. Arakawa hated Rika with a passion. She was killing him.

"Don't…you dare…" she said, trying again to rise, but finding the pain far too great.

"Akane, try to re…"

"You…aren't," she paused to catch her breath, "you aren't…going to use me…like this."

"I'm not…"

"You are!" she said, raising her voice and feeling pain surge throughout her body, "and I'm not going to let you. I'm not going to let you use me to finish off what's left of your heart. Your life. You aren't going to use me as a weapon to kill yourself with!"

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but Arakawa cut across him.

"You listen to me Ryota, and you look at me when you do."

She waited for him to fully fix his gaze upon her bruised and battered face. She knew what she looked like; a horror.

"Rika didn't die because of you. She lived because of you…"

"If it were not for me…"

"She wouldn't have known how wonderful life could be. You gave her life and love. That evil husband of hers gave her pain and misery. Would you have wanted that for her? No hope? No light?"

She reached her arms slowly up, fighting against the pain as she held her fingertips against Ryota's face, making sure his eyes remained upon hers.

"How has no one told you this? Her pain, was never your fault," she whispered, "look at me," she said when he made to close his eyes again. She did not want him to look away from the truth. She wanted him to see the things he had refused to see for years. Arakawa knew she could make him see it…make him feel it.

"What he did to me…is not your fault. You think I'm lying here in pain because of something you did or didn't do, but you're wrong. I'm lying here because Ghost is evil. I'm still alive because you gave me the strength to hold on."

A tear slid down her cheek, "can't you see Ryota? Without you, I would probably be in this bed anyway. Without you, I would probably already be dead. I'm still here only because of you. I held on because I wanted just one chance to tell you how grateful I am for what you've done for me. To tell you what it means to me. You didn't just save my life, you brought me back to life Ryota. You made life worth something to me…and let me tell you," she said, her voice thick with tears, "I…would have died…for a chance to know what that felt like."

She sniffled, and sobbed silently as a myriad of emotions assaulted her. Relief at seeing him, a feeling of safety at being in his presence, sorrow at knowing the depths of his regret, and love for the man who had breathed life into her, yet seemed to have no life in himself. She could change that. She WOULD change that.

"I know you feel it too," she said, "isn't that why you're here? Isn't that why you said what you said to me that night over the radio?"

They continued to stare at one another in silence, hearing only the hum, and occasional beeping sound, of the medical machines which were putting her back together piece by piece. Arakawa let herself become blissfully lost in his deep and searching gaze, feeling years of pain draining out of him with each passing moment. It would never completely disappear, but she hoped that perhaps it would be enough to let him take a breath of life, and remember what it meant to live. She was not sure when the change in his eyes had occurred, but she could sense that he wasn't seeing her wounds anymore. He was seeing only her. It was for this that she had endured so much suffering. She knew, distantly, that she had a job to do, and that it was of dire importance. In this quiet moment with Ryota however, that mission had become peripheral.

"I'm in love with you Ryota," she whispered. The words so powerful that her breath shuddered slightly as she spoke them and she felt almost unable to sound out the last syllable of his name.

Her arms finally succumbed to exhaustion and pain, as they began to lower back towards the bed. Ryota took both of her hands in his, gently lowering them to her sides. He then reached towards her cautiously, resting his own fingertips lightly against either side of her face, being careful not to cause her any pain. Even if he had, she was sure it would have been worth it to feel the warmth of his hands upon her.

"Fate has been kind to me after all," Ryota said to her, his face lifting in the slightest of smiles. Arakawa appreciated the monumental significance of that small gesture.

"I've once again had the chance to look into your eyes," he continued, "and I see no sadness, no fear, and no regret," he finished, reminding her of his words that night.

"That's because of you Ryota. You ended all of that for me," Arakawa said, "you made me feel like I was born again. Don't you think it's time you were too?"

He closed his eyes and bent his head. She felt strands of his silver hair brush along her shoulder and neck.

"You don't have to hurt anymore Ryota. You've suffered enough. Let me take it away. I can do that for you, you know I can."

"I don't think that I…" he sighed, opening his eyes, but not meeting her gaze, "I've grown old Akane," he said wearily.

"What does that have to do with anything? What does that change?"

"I'm not long of this world. Certainly not in the way that you are."

"That just means we don't have time to waste."

"I could not bear the…"

"Just say it Ryota," she said, cutting across him. He looked up suddenly towards her, "tell me, please. I know you want to, it's in every word you've said to me. I feel it in your voice, I see it in your eyes. I just want to hear you tell me…"

She swallowed a lump in her throat, "I need to hear you tell me."

Ryota looked silently upon her, and each passing moment made her heart beat faster. As before when she sensed the pain draining from his body, she could sense the fear leaving as well. She knew he needed a moment to feel the rush of possibility washing over him. The possibility that he could stop carrying such a crushing burden upon his shoulders, and walk with her for as long as time granted them. He breathed deeply, bending his head closer to her. She could practically breathe him in, and nothing else in the world existed except for the sound of his own breathing, the storm in his eyes, and his feather light touch upon her face. There was nothing else; no pain, no other sounds, no other life in that world but hers, and his.

"Hear me then Akane," he said slowly, quietly, "I am in love with you as well. I do not want to lose your light."

She smiled at him, feeling a lot like she was going to cry again. She desperately wanted to kiss him, but Ghost had busted her lips rather badly. No matter how much she wanted to, there would be more pain than pleasure, and she had no desire to taint her first kiss with him in such a way.

"You won't," she replied, as sincerely as she could to make up for her inability to show him any measure of physical affection, "I'm yours. You shine for me, and I'll shine for you."

He offered her another small smile in reply. His face hardened then, bit by bit as his eyes traveled over her wounds again.

"I know you have to keep up appearances," Arakawa said, understanding now why he had taken such care to leave his allegiances, and motives, hidden and ambiguous. As an enemy, he was only one man against an army. As Commander Ryota, he was a puppet master in a position of influence, but even with his authority, it was limited only to the military. Challenging the directors of the Institute in matters regarding the Diclonius would have been pointless and outside of his authority besides, likely resulting only in his rank and authority being stripped away. This was what he had meant by being unable to halt the onset of winter. But in his position of authority behind enemy lines, he could provide shelter from the storm. She wondered how long he had to have been waiting for the right moment to move against an organization she knew he despised.

Maybe it wasn't the right moment he had been waiting for. Perhaps he was simply waiting for a reason to do it.

"You don't have to be afraid for me," she continued, "I can be strong. As long as I know you're with me, I can keep fighting. I won't break."

"Ghost will not harm you again," Ryota said, the finality in his voice sending chills down her spine.

"Ryota, you may not be able to stop that from happening," she said, "I…there are some things you need to know…"

"He will not harm you again," he said again, more forcefully this time, "my responsibility for him is not such that I will watch another person I love die when I can stop it."

Responsibility? She would ask him about that later. Urgency began to fill her now that she had said the things she had wanted to say to him. Now he needed to know what she knew.

"Ryota…I did want to see you again, but that's not the only reason I'm here."

"I'm listening," he said simply, wasting no more words.

"I need your help," she said to him, "can you stop Red Sky's deployment?"

He looked at her strangely, "I technically have the authority, but final word rests with the acting directors. I would need a very good reason to call an abort on the launch to not be overridden by them. Frankly, I would need a good reason for myself as well."

"How about the risk of an extinction level event? Director Kakuzawa sabotaged Phase 1 before he was killed. It's loaded up with the actual vector strain now, not the original viral compound. If that gets activated by Phase 2, you'll be looking at an infection that will span across the entire Kanagawa Prefecture in less than twelve hours after detonation. JSDF will never be able to contain that, let alone the Institute."

Ryota raised an eyebrow, "that may get their attention. Assuming they believe you. For my part, I do believe you. Ghost does not from what I understand, and I fear the reactionary attitudes of our surviving directors may find his doubts easier to accept than your warnings."

"Your word would carry weight with them."

"With Westmore, I believe he could be persuaded. He wants the Diclonius targets returned alive after all. Vanith however, will be more difficult to convince. Before he left here, he gave me very specific instructions to deploy the weapon. He is haunted by his own sin, and I fear he will go to any lengths to exorcise it from his life. However, even in the case of Westmore, he may still deem it prudent to go ahead with Phase 1 as a precaution. Unfortunately, I do not think we will be able to stop Phase 1 from being deployed."

"You could just refuse."

"To what end? I am not the only individual in possession of launch codes. If I showed myself to be unwilling to deploy Red Sky, they would merely find someone else who would be. Meanwhile, I would be understandably prohibited from any further involvement with Red Sky. I might have considered assassination, but Phase 1 launch is tonight, and both directors are not currently on site together. I could kill one, and be taken down myself, but the other would still be enough to see the weapon system completely deployed."

Phase 1 launch was tonight? The thought sent a thrill of panic through her, but she realized that Ryota's answer was largely something she had expected. She had been relatively certain that they would not be able to stop Phase 1 anyway, and she had already accounted for this fact. There was still time to work on plan B.

"Ok," she said, "then maybe you can do something else for me."

"I will do whatever is in my power to do Akane. Tell me what you need."

"Lab access," she said, "I was able to synthesize part of a counter agent that would neutralize Red Sky back at the high school. The finished compound will be designed to work with Red Sky's delivery system. I had intended to use it in the Phase 1 rocket, but if what you say is true, and they're launching tonight, then there's no chance of me being able to do that. The good news is that the compound will also work with Phase 2, meaning if I can at least load the second rocket with the compound, it would simply 'deactivate' the virus in the air as soon as it detonated. I need access to samples and equipment here that I couldn't find at the high school to finish the second half of the compound. It wouldn't take me long to do once I got started. Twenty minutes, max."

"I cannot appear to be involved in such a plot, you understand, but I will think of a way to give you a chance to access the labs, and as much protection as I can offer" Ryota said, "but not in your state right now. You still need rest."

"Ryota, we don't have a lot of time…"

"There will be enough. These machines should have you well enough to move on your own in less than a day. Resign yourself to this fact, and rest until you are well enough to move again. Be warned however, you will not be well enough to afford any major exertion on your part. You could easily injure yourself again badly enough to necessitate a return trip to a medical facility."

He began to step away from her, "I will recommend you not be disturbed for the time being."

"Can't you stay? For just a little longer?" Arakawa said.

"I fear I may already have been gone too long. My radio has been blinking for quite some time. I must attend to my duties and answer for my absence," he paused, "do not fear Akane. I will watch over you."

"And if you have to choose? Between that, and the world?"

He was silent for many breaths, his eyes hard set, and holding a light that she had not seen there before. It had been only a ghost of light when she had first met him. Now it was like a distant star, shining brightly.

"Then I will do…what I must."

"Didn't answer my question," she said.

"No," he replied, "I suppose I didn't."

He moved towards the door, "rest now Akane."

Exhaustion took her suddenly as he left the room, having fought it ruthlessly while Ryota had been with her. The last sounds she heard before she succumbed once more to sleep, was the hissing sound of the door closing, and the sound of a device reactivating somewhere. She drifted off to sleep with victory in her heart, having accomplished what she had wanted; seeing Ryota again. Hope filled her at knowing they might just be able to stop the Institute after all. There was a chance now.

She did not think of how she would be able to accomplish her mission. She just had to trust Ryota…just had to…trust…

She'd think more on it when she woke up.

* * *

><p>For the first time, he felt afraid. Not of the coming pain, or even of death. He hoped he could still accomplish his mission. He feared the possibility of failure.<p>

Bando took a deep breath and leaned back as much as he could with the restraints on his arms. He resided in a small cell, seated on a simple contraption which had two arm receptacles at either side of him. He was currently locked into the steel mechanism. He couldn't even stand up to piss, eyeing the toilet in his cell with a measure of contempt. It seemed like such a ridiculous idea to have a restraint machine like this in a cell with a toilet. How was he supposed to get over to it? He tried not to think about it, having relieved himself before turning himself in to the Institute's soldiers. He had anticipated a situation like this where his movement would be restricted and thankfully didn't feel a need to relieve himself again, but he worried that simply by thinking about it, he would be stricken with the need. If he pissed himself in here, that would be just one more thing to add to Ghost's tab. He amused himself for the past hour by thinking of all the shapes he would twist that fucker's body into before he snapped his neck.

He knew it would be Ghost he saw again before Ryota. He was prepared for it. He was also prepared for the torture that was sure to come. Considering what Arakawa had been through to get here, he felt he could do nothing else but endure. He had developed a mountain of respect for Arakawa for having the stones to face up to Ghost, who never got that violent with prisoners unless clearly and deliberately provoked. Not that Ghost wasn't violent enough towards captives as he was, but the evidence he had seen in the basement last night of what probably happened, was something that had to be drawn out of him. Ghost had so much to answer for. If it was the last thing he ever did, Bando was going to make sure he paid that debt in blood.

Assuming, of course, that he didn't die right here today.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Bando steeled himself. He knew that this was the way it had to be, and in fact had counted on it. Ghost wanted to revel in his triumph. He would drag it out as long as he possibly could. Bando kept his face carefully neutral, and tried to appear unconcerned with Ghost's approach, which wasn't a particularly difficult task. Bando couldn't be bothered to fear an insect like Ghost, but he knew that Bando's disregard of him was something he would often take quite personally. He always did before. Bando was looking at the floor as the footsteps approached his cell. Three men…so Ghost had brought an audience. Of course he did, he would have wanted one for Bando.

Bando looked up casually as he heard the sound of the cell door being opened. He resisted the urge to chuckle at the state of Ghost as he walked in the room, his hair badly mussed as though he had woken up not long ago, and he was not wearing his tactical gear. Ghost appeared hastily put together. The smile of triumph on Ghost's face as he viewed Bando in chains tempted his ire, wanting to slap the smirk off of his face.

"You know," Ghost said, stepping further into the room to admit the two armed soldiers who had been with him, "I just didn't believe it. All the way up here as I walked, I just didn't quite believe it, but it's true. You actually came back here."

"Skip it shithead, and get right to the torture. Fuckin boring the shit out of me already and you just got here."

"There's time," he said, "and believe me, we're going to be spending a lot of it together, you and I."

Bando rolled his eyes, and turned to one of the soldiers.

"This shit impressive to you? How he talks big to people who can't fight him back?" he looked back to Ghost, spitting on the ground, "you're a bitch Ghost. You know it, I know it, and I bet your men know it now too. How many of em were there to see what you did to Arakawa?"

Ghost laughed, "that was interrogation Bando, you know the drill. Besides, my memory still works. I could recount plenty of instances where you've done as much. Don't sit there and pretend like you've got the right to judge anyone."

"I never killed anyone during an interrogation, I never went as far as you…"

"Wrong Bando, they just didn't DIE during the interrogation. Remember Keiichi? Because I do."

Bando fell silent.

"Nothing to say? No smart ass comment Bando?"

Ghost crossed his arms, smiling smugly.

"Don't get me wrong, that was some damn fine work you did with him. I think it was the only time I ever thought you might be more than a sorry ass, piece of shit."

"Lives were at stake Ghost, you know that."

Keiichi, a former Institute soldier. There hadn't been much information given on why he suddenly went rouge, or why he seemed to have transformed into a stark, raving lunatic. At least that was what they had been told; that Keiichi was insane. The only thing that mattered, was that he had stolen an experimental weapon, and that he had taken hostages. The weapon was a new type of artillery. An attempt to create a weapon of mass destruction which would not completely irradiate an area, and produce destruction on a somewhat smaller scale for precision bombing. Keiichi had taken one of the power cells that would have been inserted in the shells.

"Don't give me that shit Bando. You didn't give a fuck and we both know it. You had an excuse back then to just go WILD huh? That psycho had taken key Institute scientists and had them locked up somewhere with that power cell, and a ticking detonator. I get it Bando, there wasn't time, right? You had to do…what you had to do."

Ghost smiled waspishly, "and what you did, Bando, was practically turn that fucker inside out. Remember the guys they called in to clean that shit up?" he laughed, "fuckin threw up. Right there on the floor."

"Shut up Ghost…"

"You never asked him why. Why did he do it? Did he have demands? You didn't consider for a moment that there might a better way. Or maybe that's EXACTLY what you were considering. There was a quicker, easier…better…way."

"I said shut the fuck up!"

"What's wrong asshole? The truth getting in the way of some loftier self perception? You didn't fuck that guy up because you had to. You did it because you wanted to. Who the fuck are you to judge me?"

Bando seethed, unable to reply with a defense. He had actually wondered why Keiichi had done it after the scientists had been located, and the weapon deactivated. But no one got a chance to ask him. He died during treatment for the wounds Bando had inflicted upon him. The damage that had to be done to a person for the cybernetics clinic to fail in saving them, would have been extreme. And it had been. Ghost's smile grew wider.

"We do what we must Bando. You of all people know that. I could spend the next hour or so reminding you of why you believe in the truth of that, but I don't have that much time to fuck with you."

"Fuck you Ghost."

"And by the way Bando, on a side note, we both know who the better soldier is now. I put you down back at Kamakura High. I could do it again, but I don't see any reason to continue to prove a point I've already proven."

Bando glared at Ghost, hating that he spoke the truth…mostly. Better soldier…Bando couldn't wait for another chance at his neck.

"Well, now that we've got that out of the way," Ghost said, "I have some things I want to say to you Bando. Only going to say it once so listen up."

Ghost walked to Bando, putting his hands on both of Bando's shoulders, leaning down with an arrogant smirk on his face.

"You're not still alive because you know anything, because I know you don't. I really could care less where those little bitches are…well…except for number seven, but we'll have her in due time, if Red Sky doesn't kill her first."

"You're actually going to use that? Stupid fucks, didn't Arakawa tell you…"

"Shut up," Ghost said, "I didn't buy that story the first time I heard it. It's not suddenly going to become compelling coming from you of all people."

Ghost stood back up and crossed his arms, "you're still alive because you've got a debt to pay. You caused a lot of suffering Bando, killed a lot of good men. You've got to answer for that. A quick death, won't be enough to pay that debt."

There had been a disgustingly self righteous tone in his voice when he said that. The bastard actually believed his own bullshit.

"And what about you?" Bando asked through clenched teeth, "when do you answer for the things you've done?"

"The things I've done?" Ghost said, "protecting the world from the Diclonius? Avenging the deaths of their victims? I wasn't aware those were things that required answering for. You, on the other hand, have killed good soldiers who were just doing their jobs, and made us weaker for it, so that our job…our responsibility…becomes more difficult. And why did you do all this? Because you had a personal score to settle and you didn't want your balls chopped off to prevent you from propagating this plague. Those people died because of your fucking ego Bando. Don't even try to compare yourself to me…fucking scum."

Bando could see Ghost was working himself up into a righteous fury. The pain was coming soon, he knew. As much as he hated Ghost, and knew how wrong he was, Bando couldn't help but reflect on some of the things Ghost had said to him. His rage towards Ghost made him forget that he himself was no saint. Despite how he had changed, his past still haunted him, and Ghost was right…the bastard. Bando still had much to answer for.

"The only thing I want to know right now," Ghost said, "is why you came back. And don't give me that bullshit story about weapon sabotage. We're past that."

"Ryota," he said simply, "I want to speak to him. You might as well just go set that up because you and I both know it's going to happen sooner or later."

"Got a message for the commander? You tell me then, and I'll pass it on if I decide it's important. He's not going to have time to fuck with you either. There's a lot going on right now, as I'm sure you know."

"You're all making a mistake," Bando said.

"Well, I'm not sure you're the person to judge what constitutes a mistake. You did just walk stupidly right into this prison cell, and make no mistake about this Bando; you're going to die here."

Bando's frustration was starting to get the better of him. He knew that there was no way Ryota wouldn't know he was here. Ryota would come to speak with him, and there was nothing Ghost could do about that.

"Oooh, that got your attention, didn't it?" Ghost said, noticing Bando's heavier, quicker breaths.

He was misinterpreting Bando's reaction. The frustration, Bando knew, was at Ghost being so close. He was right there in front of him, and Bando couldn't take his vengeance for Mayu. He had sworn it upon Ghost that night he took her. Looking into Ghost's smirking face, Bando felt almost uncontrollable rage burn within him.

"What you did to her…" Bando said, "to Mayu…"

Ghost stared at Bando, beginning to look slightly uncomfortable.

"You didn't have to do it. You knew I would come. She didn't know anything except where to find me, and you didn't need her to tell you that."

Ghost began to turn around to walk away, "I don't have time for…"

"Why, you son of a bitch? Why did you rape her…"

"I didn't rape her you dumbshit. What are you…"

"Then what the fuck were you talking about back at the high school? I know you did something to her. I saw it in her face…you motherfucker Ghost…"

"Wait outside," Ghost said suddenly to the other two soldiers. Had Bando detected a measure of disgust in their faces? He hadn't really expected them to believe what he was saying, and hadn't cared in that moment. Hatred for Ghost was taking over.

"No," Bando shouted, "why don't you stay? Stay and let Ghost tell you about what he does to young girls who can't fight him back. Let him tell you about what he does in the name of protecting the world."

"Shut the fuck up," Ghost said roughly. Finally, Bando had found the right button to push.

"Is that what you did to Arakawa? Answer me you piece of shit! Did you fucking rape her you sick fuck? That a new 'interrogation tactic'? Because I sure as hell wasn't there when that became standard."

Ghost turned back to him, his face twisted with rage, and shot his arm out towards Bando's throat. Bando shoved his chin down upon Ghost's hand so he couldn't get a good grip on his neck.

"I said, shut the fuck up!"

Suddenly, he was a child again, being choked by his father. A moment of childish fear swept through him at the memory's first appearance, swept away by a bottomless, seething rage for his long dead father, and his present arch enemy.

"I swear to God, I'm going to kill you Ghost. Before this is all over, you're going to die. If you've got any fucking brains at all, you'll kill me right now, because if you don't, I'll get out of here. The next time we meet after that, I'll fucking bury you. You're going to pay for what you've done to Mayu. You're going to pay for Nana, and Arakawa."

Ghost pulled his hand away from Bando's neck, and reared his fist back to punch Bando's face.

"Pathetic," Bando choked out with a laugh, "you aren't living for a goddamn thing Ghost, except to hurt people. That's what it's about for you and I goddamn know it. Maybe I wasn't any better than you, and I'm sure I deserve to die, but at least my mistakes were made in the service of protecting others, even when I wasn't aware I was doing it, or wanted to think that I was trying to protect anyone. You don't give a fuck about protecting anything or anyone. That's what separates us Katsuo," Bando said, emphasizing Ghost's real name, "You don't care. I do."

"Don't fucking call me that…"

"What are you even here fighting for?" Bando said, continuing to press him, hearing something strange in his voice at the sound of his own name, "do you even know? Does it even matter?"

"The Diclonius are a pestilence…"

"Come on Katsuo, you don't give a shit about that. I think you'd like it better to just let an army of them out in the world to just kill everything they see. Would you like that Katsuo? Just walk around looking at strewn bodies? Maybe you'd like to be there when the people are being killed. Maybe you'd join in…"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Ghost screamed suddenly, silencing him, "fuck you Bando! Those monsters destroyed my life! All you lost was a hand and your eyes! You got those back! I didn't get back what was taken from me!"

Bando couldn't help but be stunned by the sudden outburst. Clearly, Bando had touched a nerve. He realized all at once that he really didn't know anything about Ghost at all. Certainly not who he had been before coming to the Institute. Not that Bando cared then, or now, but he found the outburst interesting.

Ghost seemed to slowly come back to himself, as he slowly turned around. The two soldiers who had come with him were still there. They had ignored his order to leave the room, and the looks on their faces were just delicious. Bando knew this little talk would spread among the men like wildfire. Ghost's arrogance would be the only thing to blame once his own men started whispering ever louder about their unhinged "leader". Bando knew he had been right in thinking that other soldiers would be questioning Ghost's leadership.

Ghost looked back towards Bando, who was smirking at him.

"Lost it a little bit there, didn't you?" he said.

Ghost suddenly threw a fist into Bando's face. Pain shocked his nerves, but he recovered almost instantly, smiling at Ghost.

"That your best shot?" Bando spat, "guess you aren't shit when it's a man you're dealing with, and not scared women. Go ahead, take another one, and put your back into it. You're fuckin embarrassing yourself."

His face twisting in rage, Ghost reared back and threw another punch. Bando moved his head to the side, causing Ghost to punch the steel wall behind him. He cried out in pain as he yanked his hand back. Bando could see blood leaking from split knuckles, and laughed loudly.

"I think your boss needs a medic," Bando said to one of the soldiers, still laughing.

Ghost suddenly reached towards his waist, likely to retrieve a pistol. Bando closed his eyes, knowing that he had pushed too far. He hadn't been able to help it, despising Ghost as he did.

"Sergeant!" came a loud, commanding, familiar voice. Bando opened his eyes again abruptly to see Ghost frozen in place.

"Stand down," came the voice once more. Ryota. It was Ryota.

Ghost slowly uncoiled himself, and stepped aside as he turned around. Ryota stood there, dressed in full uniform, standing in a way that made him seem ten feet tall. His presence immediately washed through the room, having an instant effect on Ghost, and the soldiers. Ryota entered the small cell, walking past Ghost and looking down at Bando. He couldn't read Ryota's expression, and Bando didn't quite know how he felt seeing him again. Ryota was still an issue he hadn't completely worked out yet. Bando tasted copper in his mouth and realized his nose was bleeding from the punch. He licked the blood away as Ryota reached in his pocket, removing a dark cloth, and wiping the blood from Bando's face.

"Leave us, sergeant," he said without looking in Ghost's direction.

"But sir…"

"That is an order," he said. Bando swore he heard a hint of contempt in his voice.

Bando looked over at Ghost, who seemed to be staring at both him, and Ryota, with resentment in his eyes.

"Yes sir," he answered, that resentment carrying over into his voice, "let's go," he said to the soldiers in the room, who filed quickly out with him.

As they listened to the footsteps getting further away, Bando and Ryota stared at one another in silence. The old bitterness began to well up inside of him as he looked upon the face he had known so well for many years. He had spent so long trying to get away from Ryota, and be independent of him, but no matter what he did, it always seemed to end like this. Forced back together as if fate was willing him to accept Ryota as being what he had failed to be in the past; a father. Bando had always been stubbornly unwilling to admit, even to himself, how much he had wanted Ryota to be exactly that. It had been the one thing that held him together as a child, hoping that he would take up that mantle. Bando no longer felt the need to lie to himself about what he felt. He had left home when he realized that Ryota was just the shell of a man, and Bando was utterly alone.

"Didn't need your help," Bando said, unable to resist a moment of stubborn petulance. Ryota had an uncanny knack for bringing that out in him.

"No, you just didn't want it. I always wished you would one day admit knowing the difference."

"Whatever," he said, trying his best to school himself. He did want to speak to Ryota, and he did need his help, but old habits were hard to break.

"Is Arakawa still alive?" Bando asked.

"Yes," he answered quickly, "she is resting in cybernetics."

"Jesus…was it that bad?"

"It was," he answered solemnly.

"How can you stick up for that fucking bastard?" Bando asked, "I'm no saint, but Ghost? How the hell do you justify that?"

"I cannot."

"Really? That's all you've got to say?"

"I do not expect you to understand…though I do owe you an explanation. After everything that has happened, you deserve at least that."

He sighed, "unfortunately, I do not have the time it would take. I must be present for the launch of Phase 1 of Red Sky."

"Ryota, you can't let them launch that thing…"

"I can. I must."

"Ryota, goddamn it! Listen to…"

"Bando, I am aware of what has happened. Arakawa told me. Right now I need you to listen to me for a moment."

He took a deep breath and stepped closer to Bando.

"I realize that this may not be the best time, or place, for this. But our time is short, and I do not know if there will be another chance. I want to say something to you, to give you something I have owed you for a long time."

"What is that?"

"An apology."

Bando fell silent, watching him curiously.

"Many years ago I made a promise to your mother," he said in a tired voice, "and I broke it. You suffered needlessly because of my grief. Long have I regretted the weakness that made me blind to you. Long have I waited to talk to you of it. Though I tried to keep you close with the Institute, I was only doing what I had done before. I stood back, and only watched. I had believed that time had hardened me to the grief. It only made me better at hiding from it…and from you."

Bando felt an urge to give a waspish reply, but the words caught in his throat. There had been times in the past when Bando felt that Ryota wanted very much to talk with him. To have a chance to speak of the past. Most times, Ryota would let those moments slip away. At the time, Bando had not cared one way or the other. Or at least that was what he would tell himself. With each moment Ryota would let slip away, it added a new layer of bitterness upon Bando who would insist that he didn't care one bit about how Ryota felt towards him. Some days, he even believed it.

"You deserved better than that from me," Ryota said sadly.

"I didn't want anything from you," Bando said roughly, "you didn't owe me shit."

"That is hardly the point," Ryota answered, "I made a promise to take care of you. I did not."

"So it was just about the promise huh?" Bando said, bitterness in his voice, "I don't give a shit about some obligation you felt you had to my dead mother."

"Bando, there was a reason I made that promise. A reason it meant something to me."

Ryota reached to Bando's side, flipping open a control panel. He pressed a few buttons before closing the panel. Suddenly, the arm restraints unlocked, and Bando sighed as he felt the rush of blood began to flow normally throughout his arms once again.

"I loved Rika," Ryota said, stepping away, "and I loved you. I still do Bando. I wanted you to know that. I wanted to say it because I hadn't before, and I should have."

Bando removed his arms from the restraints, and slowly stood up. What was Ryota doing? He still stood purposefully between Bando, and the exit. As he watched Ryota, he saw something completely unfamiliar in his eyes. Life, where there was none before. What had gotten into him?

"Ryota, why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I know why you came back. Oh, not the literal reason of course, but I believe you came back for the same reason I am here now. And it is because of that reason that I knew you would be ready to hear what I've had to say, just as I was finally ready to say it."

"And what is that?"

"There is something…someone…you want to protect. Love is the reason you are here. The reason we all…are here."

He thought of Mayu, and hoped desperately that she was already on her way out of the city.

"Am I wrong, Bando?"

He looked at Ryota, as though seeing him for the first time and Bando realized that he recognized this man…from another time, long ago. A time before pain twisted him into the shell of a man. Bando had been looking for this man for decades. A deep relief coursed through him at finding that man at last.

"No," Bando said, almost in a whisper, "you're right."

Ryota nodded his head approvingly, then reached in his pocket. He removed a flash drive, and handed it to Bando.

"What is this?" Bando asked.

"My explanation for Ghost, that I do not have time to talk about. When I heard on the radio that you had turned yourself in, I retrieved this. It will explain everything…and I hope you will forgive me for being a part of what you will see on this."

Bando slowly pocketed the flash drive, which suddenly felt like a ten ton weight in his jacket pocket. What could Ryota mean by that?

"Are you releasing me?" Bando asked.

"I'm afraid not," Ryota answered, "I just thought perhaps you might want to stretch your limbs for a while."

"Well what the fuck? Why did you…"

"If you want to stop Red Sky, you must trust me. It is not yet your time, but it will be soon. I believe I may have a plan, though it will be very risky…of course."

Impossible odds, high chance of failure, and likely only one shot at success. Sounded about like the odds he had been working with almost nonstop to this point.

Bring it on.

"I'm listening…"


	31. Cries of the Forsaken

Erich knew coming to this hotel had been the right decision. It was all it had taken for that memory to come back to him fully. Staring in the bathroom mirror in the dimly lit, cheap hotel, Erich realized that he looked like a complete wreck. His expensive state of dress simply seemed funny to him now, as though he were a displaced disaster victim who had simply stolen them from somewhere.

Shortly after he had gotten the room, and lay upon the bed, his mind had slipped back into the dark corners of memories. They materialized in a hotel somewhere in Munich, Germany, over a year ago. The hotel was nicer than the one he currently resided in, but they were similar enough to spark his memory.

Erich had located Angel at last, after what had been her longest absence yet. She had already killed her assigned target in Rome a month prior, throwing discretion to the wind, butchering her target in a ghastly manner. The killing had been quite a sensation in the media, which had caught wind of the killing before even the Institute had, throwing the city into an uproar. It was fortunate that there had been little need for media suppression since the particulars of the murder were not known, or that it was related to the Diclonius, who were technically not supposed to exist as far as the public was concerned. Angel had gone on the run after that. She left evidence of where she'd been, and where she was going, in every place she stopped. Erich knew she wanted him to chase her, he just didn't know why.

It had been a blood soaked trail of pain, terror, and death to all who had been unlucky enough to cross her path. He had waded through oceans of anguish and grief from those left behind as he pursued Angel; always knowing where to look, but never being fast enough to catch her. His men had surrounded the hotel in Munich, having finally caught up with her. Erich insisted in going in alone to retrieve her, much as he had tried to do the previous night.

The trail of carnage he had followed in order to find Angel, left him in a state of anxious dread. He knew he was taking an awful risk going after her alone, but he believed that she would not kill him. He couldn't quite explain how he knew that; it was just a gut feeling, which was in itself, a source of anxiety for Erich. He did not operate on instinct or his "gut". That was not his way. His was the way of calculation, hypothesis, decisions based on careful consideration of accumulated knowledge. Every step he had taken up the stairs that would lead him to Angel felt like little leaps of faith. He was walking unfamiliar ground, towards an unknown fate.

He had not tried to muffle his steps, or slink around quietly. It would be no use; she was expecting him. Suddenly he was at the door, which was slightly cracked, a soft light coming from within. His fingertips rested on the polished wood as he hesitated to push it open. It had been quiet. So quiet he could hear the nearly inaudible sound of his fingertips brushing against the wood as his hand lightly trembled. After a few moments, he steeled himself for what he was sure to find beyond the door, and pushed it open. He thought he had been prepared for what he saw when he entered the room.

She was there, sitting alone in an armchair which was faced at an angle towards a window which looked out into the night, displaying the brilliant, artificial constellations of city lights, and tall, gothic structures so brilliantly lit that they seemed to be made of gold. He was enraptured momentarily by the sight before shocking himself back to reality, quickly scanning the room for its victims…

…only to discover that there were none. That was what he had not been prepared for, and he couldn't suppress a bitter laugh at his own expense. He had become so accustomed to scenes of horrific violence, that he had expected it here. He was as mentally thrown by its absence, as he might have been by its presence.

"_Good one Angel," _he had said sardonically, _"you really got me."_

She had not answered him, or even looked at him. Her silence was strange, and uncharacteristic. He considered going for the gun he had brought with him. At this range, and with her in such a state of relaxation, he was reasonably sure he could at least incapacitate her before she could stop him, and then she could be comfortably collected for transport back to Rome. He reached into his suit jacket and saw Angel's head turn slightly so that he was in her peripheral vision, though she did not actually look at him. Pulling a white cloth from his suit pocket, he removed his glasses and began to meticulously wipe away smudges as he walked slowly past her to stand at the window.

"_Beautiful city," _Erich said conversationally. He couldn't afford to appear as worn out from the long chase as he actually felt.

"_Most things are beautiful, from far away. The things that aren't, are at least, less ugly."_

Erich nodded his head, allowing himself to fall into the conversation. Perhaps he could still talk her down, and he would not need to have her damaged.

"_Distance does tend to soften rough edges, and polish smooth ones."_

"_Can't see the people shooting heroin from up here. Can't hear the screams of suffering. Can't tell if a crowd in the street is made up of celebrators, or rioters," _she laughed at that last one, _"though sometimes, they're one and the same, aren't they?"_

Erich closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, he did not see a beautiful city anymore. He saw a veil that harbored reckless demons, crawling through the streets like poisoned blood pumping through black veins.

"_Did you cry for those people I killed?" _she said, in a tone of mocking amusement, "_did you sit with their friends and family as they grieved?"_

"_I am entirely uninterested in your games right now Angel," _he said, abandoning the pretense of conversation.

"_Did they know how little you cared? How disgusted they made you?" _Angel said.

Erich turned from the window to look at Angel who was dressed plainly in stonewashed jeans, heeled boots, and a brown jacket which was buttoned up. Aside from the obvious Diclonius physical features, and the arresting beauty of her face, she appeared quite nondescript, which was quite unlike her. She would dress in highly provocative clothing at practically any given opportunity, though even then, Erich had noticed that she sometimes had a penchant for tom-boyishness.

Angel smiled at him in a way which made him feel filthy.

"_It's ok," _she whispered, _"you don't have to answer that right now. I know you're still wrestling with it. You'll come around."_

"_What in the hell happened back in Rome? The manner with which you dispatched Alyssa was utterly unnecessary. As I have told you time and again, torture has its function in interrogation, not assassination."_

"_Oh torture's function is much more broad than that Erich. It is the work of discovery. Not just of simple bits of information, but of the self. It shows both tormentor, and tormented, who they really are."_

"_Your sadistic identity is hardly a mystery that needed solving, and it did not matter who Alyssa was. Torturing her was pointless, and stupid."_

"_You're right Erich. It would have been pointless to torture her. That is why I didn't."_

"_But you…"_

"_Killed her first. Quickly," _Angel reached in the coat pocket for something, and removed her hand in a closed fist, concealing something.

"_She wanted to see it coming. That's what she said to me. She didn't beg, didn't fight. She was waiting for me, just like I was waiting for you Erich."_

He remained silent, not knowing where Angel was going with this, and staring intently at her closed hand.

"_She told me she knew it had been too easy; escaping from there. Almost as if she had been…allowed to."_

She smiled at him conspiratorially, and Erich had not wasted his breath to deny what she had implied. Alyssa had, of course, been a test of Angel's tracking, and combat capabilities. Erich had personally engineered the security lapse which would have enabled Alyssa to escape if she had chosen to seize the opportunity. Erich had spent the past several months ensuring that Alyssa would want to by worsening her living conditions; increasing her involvement in painful test procedures, distancing himself from her socially. He knew she would jump at the chance to be free.

Before Angel, Alyssa had been his most highly trained girl, and consequently, his favorite. Erich had expected Alyssa to present Angel with her greatest challenge, her ultimate test. But…

"_You're telling me that Alyssa did not put up a fight? She just laid down and let you kill her?"_

Angel opened her hand and Erich instinctively lurched away from Angel, his back slamming roughly against the wall next to the window. He breathed a sigh of relief at hitting the wall as he hadn't been thinking of where he had been standing in that moment. He could have flung himself straight out of the window, to a five story drop.

"_She wasn't sure why she was still alive, but when she saw me, she understood," _Angel laughed, _"it's funny, she was actually relieved when I came. Up to that moment, she had been living every second in such fear. She knew that at any moment, death could come suddenly, and without warning. She knew there was no escape."_

Erich looked with sick horror at the object Angel held in her hand. It was the remote activated explosive that had been surgically implanted inside of Alyssa. He thanked the gods above that he had ordered the detonation codes purged from the cell phones of his facility's lead scientists and administrative personnel. Only he possessed it now. As that thought crossed his mind, his hand darted into his coat pocket for his cell phone.

"_That's why you tore her apart," _Erich said in a vehement whisper, opening the phone and backing away from Angel, towards the door, _"you were looking for the bomb…" _he entered the detonation code, then let his thumb rest over the call button, _"why? Why did you keep it?"_

Angel slowly rose to her feet, turning towards Erich. As she took a step towards him, he thrust the phone towards her threateningly.

"_Don't move! One more step and I'll splatter you all over this room."_

Angel chuckled mirthlessly, but relented, resting against the chair's back.

"_I never felt the need to ask why you did not just kill the others with this bomb. There was no need, I knew what I was to become…I knew what you wanted me to be."_

Angel turned her head and looked out of the window, to the shining city below.

"_Up close, they were your girls. But from far away, they were numbers. You can't torture a number, can't kill it. You just…subtract."_

Erich's thumb shook as it hovered over the button. He was hyper vigilant, waiting for any sudden move, or indication that she was going to attack him, or throw the bomb away.

"_From far away, people are numbers. If they get too close, they have names."_

"_I don't see how that is particularly important. Least of all to you."_

"_But you're wrong Erich. It is profoundly important, especially to me."_

Angel raised her hand to her hair, moving it away from her face as she turned back towards Erich, an unreadable expression on her face. The soft light gave dark shadows to Angel's facial features, but he could still clearly see her blood-red, fathomless eyes. He realized he was standing too far away to really see the color, but the image of them was so burned into his mind, that he felt he would probably still see them even in the complete absence of light.

"_I was a number once, you remember it?"_

"_Of course I do. Five."_

"_I was conscious of my number…or rather, that I was only a number. I was confused back then. At the time, I swam in a sea of names, and they were all so worthless, even my own. Especially my own. I thought that the number was what was important. My number took me to a different world, where I was something called 'Diclonius', which made me stand apart from other people. Whether I stood above, or beneath you, I could not decide."_

Angel began to unbutton her jacket, reveling a white tank top she wore beneath it. She slid out of her jacket and tossed it to the floor.

"_When they looked at me…those scientists with their empty eyes…I realized that I stood in neither place. I was number five. To be a number was to be both important, and less than nothing. I was a necessary function, to be added when needed, and subtracted when not. Much like those people in the streets out there."_

"_I don't understand what you're getting at here Angel, and frankly, I'm not interested. We've been up here long enough…"_

"_But then you came, Erich," _she said, interrupting him. He fell silent again. He knew he should not be letting this conversation go on for as long as it had. There was no telling what the retrieval squad downstairs was doing. Erich was sure that it wouldn't be long before the commander just assumed Erich was dead, and moved in anyway. But for so long, Erich had been trying to get Angel to talk to him. Now she was. His token efforts to end the conversation were just that.

"_You gave me a name. I was no longer something to be added or subtracted. I could live, or die. In your hands, it was the first time for me in which life, or death, was important. Before now, even my name had been little more than a number. Something placed upon me so that I might understand when I was the one being spoken to. You gave it meaning Erich. You showed me exactly where I stand."_

She moved closer to him, and Erich thrust the phone outwards in warning. Angel had only smiled.

"_You won't kill me."_

"_What makes you so sure of that Angel?"_

"_Because you aren't ready to kill me."_

"_Sure about that?" _he said, in as calm a voice as he could.

"_Absolutely sure," _she replied, stepping closer to him.

In a few more moments, she would be close enough to kill them both with the explosion. Erich stared, frozen, as those final moments passed, and she was within a few inches of him. She had been right, she was just too important to his work to so easily cast aside. She reached up slowly and eased the phone out of his hand.

"_Ssssh, it's alright Erich. I'm not going to kill you either. But you knew that before you came here."_

"_Why? Why aren't you going to kill me?"_

"_I was hoping you would tell me…baby…"_

The strangeness of her question stunned him. Was she asking because she didn't know? Or if she wanted to know if he understood the reason why? If she wanted to know if he understood, then WHY did she want to know if he understood? His thoughts became interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, and approaching the room. It appeared he had gone too long without reporting to the squad and they had taken it upon themselves to assume Erich was dead, and to move on with the assault.

"_You deactivated it," _Erich said, about the bomb, _"didn't you? You just wanted me to think it was live."_

Angel pressed the call button, and flung the object outside of the room as the footsteps got closer. A deafening explosion tore the hallway apart and blew away a section of the wall, throwing Erich to the floor. His world was suddenly a haze of cloudy debris, and smoke; his ears ringing painfully. It took a moment for his senses to come back and for him to remember where he was. Crawling back to his knees, he looked around to assess the destruction, and most importantly, where Angel was. He expected her to be gone, back on the run. The thought made him weary as he faced the prospect of yet another international manhunt.

Looking up, he saw her still standing where she had been before. He wondered why the explosion hadn't thrown her to the ground as well, but supposed that with her reinforced limbs, she would be a bit more difficult to throw off balance. He did see a number of small cuts on her face and arms from where the debris had sliced through her. She smiled at him as though she did not notice the thin trails of blood that began to snake down her body.

"_They should have known better than to interrupt,"_ she said, _"this was our moment. Not theirs."_

Nothing in the hall could have survived a blast like that. Erich was frankly surprised that the two of them were even still alive. A loud groan from above told Erich that there was major damage to the structural integrity of the building. If they didn't get out soon, the roof could come down upon them.

"_Angel…you goddamn fool…"_

"_You want this to end? For me to come back with you?"_

"_YES!"_

"_Then say it. Command it. Have you forgotten who you are? What…you are?"_

He stared at her, _"what?"_

"_No…it's not that you've forgotten anything is it? I think perhaps you never knew."_

She moved slowly, gracefully, coming to her hands and knees in order to be at eye level with Erich. Her posture appeared meticulously designed to make her look exactly like what she was, a slave.

"_I will show you who you really are Erich," _she looked deeply into his eyes. Erich felt like he was staring into abyssal depths. He felt like he was falling…

"_You have done everything in your power to make me come back…except simply command it. How does a ruler function if he will not issue orders, nor make demands?"_

Erich stood up then and simply looked down upon her, while she looked up at him. Could it have been this simple? What was she playing at? He sighed, what did he have to lose by playing the game? The assault team was dead, and there weren't enough people left downstairs to mount an effective assault against her. Angel would not be taken tonight by force, that much had been made painfully clear.

"_Stand up Angel. Now."_

She complied, rising gracefully to her feet. He reached in his coat to retrieve a small device which could be attached to the back of the head. The vector nullifier. She stared at the device, then at him, simply waiting as the moments passed in silence. After a while, he simply returned the device to his coat. She smiled, and nodded approvingly.

"_You will come back to Rome with me Angel. You will do so without a fight. Is that understood?"_

"_As you wish," _she said simply.

It had been as simple as that. She had returned with him to Rome, but he had not been able to make her speak for the rest of the journey home. He had not been able to make sense of it. Why, after all the trouble she had given him, and the chase she had led him on, did she suddenly just come back willingly when he had ordered her to? It was the question he mulled over now as he stared in the mirror of the cheap hotel bathroom. The more he thought about it however, the more he felt he was getting closer to an answer.

Thunder rolled in the distance, and Erich could hear the sound of rain beginning to fall. It was time, the sun was going down, and he knew by the time he got to where he knew she wanted him to go, it would be twilight. It was time to face her.

And discover who she had been.

* * *

><p>Erich stood in the cold rain, drenched and freezing to the bone, but he couldn't quite make himself step inside the structure he stood before. It was a little, derelict, nondescript two story building, deep in the city. Most passed it by without so much as noticing it was there. It seemed to withdraw from the street just a little further than the other buildings that were there. As if it had something to hide.<p>

Lightening flashed in the sky above, followed by ominous thunder. Cars passed by behind him, creating a sound that rose and fell like ocean waves. People ran around underneath umbrellas, and he heard the distant sound of conversation. There was a little laughter here and there. Erich didn't want to step into the building. Life surrounded him as he stood in the rain. The moment he crossed the threshold, there would be only pain and misery. He just knew it.

He began walking steadily towards the building anyway. Life may be surrounding him, but none of it touched him. He wasn't a part of it. What he WAS a part of, waited for him inside. He wrapped his arms around himself against the cold, quickening his step so he might finally get out of the rain. Reaching the door, he opened it, and went inside quickly as if to do it before he changed his mind. He shut the door behind him, and cast the room mostly in darkness, save for a few lights that were on inside. They did not illuminate much, and Erich wondered how this place was still receiving power.

The sound of the storm became muffled as the door closed, and drowned out the sound of his footsteps as he moved slowly into the room. There was a stale smell in the air, the kind of aroma that seemed to materialize about a place that had been neglected for years. There were a few pieces of furniture in the room, but most of them were broken and overturned. The floor was littered with old newspapers, though a few had dates on them as recent as a few months ago. Perhaps this place wasn't completely abandoned. He worried momentarily that he might come across squatters, but if this was the place he was to meet Angel, he knew he would not find any. If they were lucky, Angel would have only kicked them out of here. Most likely however, she would have just killed them.

He moved down a hallway which led to a series of rooms on either side of the hall. Erich imagined that this place must have been a hotel of some kind. As he walked, Erich wondered where the bodies would have been. He looked on the ground to see if he could detect any chalk outlines, but the hallway light was not bright enough for him to see if there were. This had been the place of Angel's very first massacre. Or at least the one which brought her to the Institute's notice. This was where it had all began.

Reaching the end of the hallway, it abruptly turned to the right, leading to a staircase. Erich froze as he noticed something else. Next to the staircase, there was a small end table. On that table, was a pistol.

Erich simply stared at it for a moment, not understanding why there would be a gun here. It had to be Angel who had left this for him, but why would she? He slowly reached for it, and lifted it off the table, feeling a rush as his hand closed around the grip. Another round of thunder sounded, but it was fainter now, fading back into the ever present sound of rainfall. As the sound subsided, Erich began to notice another sound. A strange scuffling noise from somewhere upstairs. Erich quietly dislodged the magazine from the gun to ensure it was loaded, which it was. Slapping the clip back into the gun, he pulled back on the slide, chambering a round, and began to slowly move upstairs.

He mentally prepared himself for what he might find. It was probably Angel, killing someone. He fully expected that, and hardened himself to it. Hopefully, she wouldn't notice him creeping upstairs. Perhaps he could take her out while she was distracted.

Reaching the top of the stairs, he saw another long hallway with doors on either end. The light was a little better up here, and now Erich could see black stains which might have been blood on the walls. Why would this have been the place Angel chose to begin her killing spree? He decided that it didn't matter. He was not curious enough about her past to miss his chance if it presented itself. If she made even a small mistake, she would die.

The sounds of scuffling got louder as he approached an open door. He could now hear the muffled sounds of a woman trying to scream, and other sounds of heavy breathing. Steeling himself, he whirled around into the room, gun first, looking around quickly for Angel. He did not see her.

What he saw instead, were three men holding a nude woman down. One of those men had his hands on her mouth and was raping her savagely. She struggled and cried, but they kept her still and silent.

"What the fuck?" Erich screamed, aiming his weapon at the men, "get the fuck off of her!"

In surprise, the men leapt off of the woman who stared in wide eyed shock at her would be rescuer. Blood, both fresh and dried, covered the area between her legs. It was the dried blood that disgusted Erich most. It meant that these men had been at this for a long, long time. Her face was bruised and bloodied, and she had numerous cuts in her chest. Crying loudly, she tried to stand up, but two of the men grabbed her, and forced her back down.

"Did you hear what I fucking said?" Erich shouted.

"Do it…" the third man said, smirking, "you don't have the balls. Just take that little toy, and walk motherfucker. This shit's not any of your business. Just walk the fuck away."

"I'm not going to tell you again, parasite."

"Please, just look at you. You're just some rich boy in the wrong place at the wrong time. You're fuckin shaking," he said with a laugh, while pulling up his shirttail, reveling a pistol, "best either pull that trigger, or get walking, before I do something."

Scum, they were all scum. This was mankind's legacy, this was what it had borne, or would bear if left unchecked. The anger raged through him at this stark reminder of what had set him on his path so many years ago. This man was a fool. He thought the shaking was because of fear. He was merely cold from the rain.

"Time's up moth…"

Erich pulled the trigger, firing the gun and splattering his brains across the room. The other two men leapt back off of the woman, and pressed themselves against the wall.

"Fuck!" one of them exclaimed, "holy fuck!"

"Is it clear now that I'm not fucking around with you parasitic trash? Or should I flip a coin to see which of you I make an example of next?"

"Don't shoot…fucking shit, don't shoot man!"

"Give me a reason why not," Erich spat, "GIVE ME A FUCKING REASON!"

One of the men actually got down on his knees, "please man…please don't."

The audacity of it staggered Erich. That a man such as this could pretend to be worthy of mercy by doing something like begging for it. The pretension enraged Erich. The only thing he should be begging for, was a quick death.

"Shut up!" Erich screamed. In that moment, he realized how easy it had been to kill the other man, and how easy he knew it would be to kill this one. As many lives as he'd doomed to death, it occurred to him, mostly because Angel had made him see it, that his own hands were almost never stained with blood. A strange curiosity came over him then, which hung above the rage. It WAS easy now. He let the curiosity drown his rage as much as possible, as he aimed the gun at the man kneeling down. He wanted to know if he could do this with cold blood. Without Angel forcing him to do it.

"What are you doing? Don't!"

"Tell me something," Erich said, "does the world work for you that way? Where something stops the moment someone orders it to? Or does that apply only to you when you want something to stop?"

"Please…"

"I'm sure that woman didn't keep saying yes. So tell me, why shouldn't I kill you, even though you're saying no? If the world works the way you seem to think it does, then there is no way I can pull this trigger, and end your worthless life."

"DON'T KI…"

Erich pulled the trigger again, the gunshot sharp and loud. Blood splattered the wall as the second man fell dead to the floor. The woman screamed, but remained where she lay. Erich laughed, possessed by…something…

"Well, I guess it doesn't work that way after all."

"Fucking Christ man!" the third man yelled out, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"For what?"

The man simply stared at him.

"You're apologizing to me, I'm just wondering what you've done to me to make you think you owe me an apology. I don't even know you."

"I…"

"I guess that means you don't feel you owe her shit, right?"

"No! I mean yes! I mean, I do owe…" he turned to the woman, "I'm sorry!"

"Well, there you go," Erich said sardonically, "you've apologized. Everything's square now, and you can run along home."

"R…really?"

Erich looked at him with incredulous shock, pointing the gun at him, "you really are just too stupid to live."

"NO!"

Erich pulled the trigger a third time, the bullet tearing a chunk out of the man's forehead, and painting the wall with blood as he fell. Silence fell over the room after that, save for the sound of heavy rain outside, and the panicked breathing of the naked woman, who looked at the dead men in abject horror. Erich lowered the gun to his side and extended his hand.

"Come on, get up, it's over. They're dead."

Without looking at him, she scrambled to the corner of the wall, still staring at the bodies. Erich started to remove his wet coat, walking over to her.

"It's a bit wet from the rain, but I think…"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" she screamed, standing up and cowering in the corner as she cried. Erich backed away from the door, into a corner of the room opposite her.

"I'm just trying to hel…"

It was then, when he had moved to the corner, that he realized the woman had not been looking at him when she screamed the words…

…she had been looking at something behind him.

Turning his attention, and his gun, to the door, he saw her…

…Angel.

She wore a long, heavy, black dress, with her combat boots. The smile on her face was terrible to behold as she stared at the tortured woman. On impulse, Erich aimed the weapon at Angel's head, and pulled the trigger. There was only a clicking sound, followed by Angel turning slowly towards him.

"I did not think you would need more than three shots."

Erich stared at her in mute shock, letting the useless pistol fall from his hands.

"You…you set this up…how…but why did…"

Angel ignored him, walking towards the woman who began to cry in loud, fearful, racking sobs.

"I don't want to anymore!" she screamed, "I don't want to do it anymore!"

"Don't worry," Angel told the trembling woman, "it's almost over."

She turned her head to look sideways at Erich.

"I honestly expected you the night before," she said, "it's funny what men will do if they believe they can get away with it. Even funnier just how many are willing to do something like…say…rape a prostitute. Most took my offer without protest or much complaint. A few wanted to fuck me instead," she chuckled, "I'm sure you can imagine how that worked out."

Disgust and hatred roared through Erich. Angel had subjected this poor woman to horrendous abuse from random men she had approached. How many had come to this place to hurt this woman?

"How long?" Erich said through a lump in his throat.

"Like I told you Erich," she said, "I honestly expected you the night before."

He threw up on the floor, coughing and hacking.

"Her name is Bella," Angel said, once Erich had finished coughing, "but it's not her real name. She's been a whore for many years now. This wouldn't be the first time a man has abused her," Angel smiled, "though I'm sure it is certainly the worst…and most definitely the last."

"Why Angel? Why would you…"

"Look at her Erich."

He looked at the woman called Bella, and made himself stare at her eyes. They were alive with fear, but Erich saw something else there, or rather something that wasn't there. Fear was the only thing giving her gaze color. He knew that once it went away, there would be nothing left.

"I used to see this look in a person's eyes all the time," Angel said, "I often looked into the mirror. Every night actually before I went to sleep, to see if it was in mine. I was always curious as to why it was never there."

Angel stepped away from the woman, to stand before Erich.

"This was where I lived. Fourteen years of my life, were spent right here. I've always wanted to see what the world has done with the place. I must say, I'm pleased at the 'decorations'. I prefer the honesty. There was no life in these walls. At least none that anyone would deem important to preserve."

All at once, Erich knew.

"You were a whore," Erich said, "you…were a child…they prostituted a child…"

"I let them use me Erich. Just like I let you do the same."

"But how? Why here? What about your parents?"

"Most people have no use for horned children. Those who had borne me were very much included in that number. My very first function in this world was as payment for some long standing debt, as were nearly all of us back then. Though I was the only one of those children with...deformities," she said, motioning to her horns, "it did not matter here. In this place, we were all the same. And in this place, we learned to become…useful. As I was to you."

"Angel, I'm not like the bastards that prostitute children! Don't you dare compare me with scum like that!"

"Scum?" Angel said, "it was the scum that kept me alive. It was they who came to see me, and ensured I lived another day. I used to think much about that irony in those days. My tormenters were my saviors."

Angel looked at the frightened woman behind her, "my first took me when I was seven years old. It was the man who became my master for the following years. He took a particular liking to my unique physical features. Those things that separated me from the other children. I looked a lot like she did when he was finished with me. I remember expecting it, knowing what was to come. I remember wanting him to do it, even then. Not in the way that I understood sexual experience, although I knew sex was going on all around me. I knew it would be a significant moment in my life. Something that would define me, or destroy me."

Angel turned back to Erich, who listened with a mixture of horror and revulsion.

"I remember how disappointed I was when it was over, and realized that it had done neither of those things. The only thing I had felt was the pain, but nothing changed in me. Before he had taken me, I remembered the shrieking of the children that were a little older than me, who were already being put to 'work'. It was a funny sensation, hearing those screams. I understood intellectually that their lives were miserable because of what they were being made to do, but I could not understand it in any other way than that. I was always curious about it, but no rush of feeling ever passed through me to fill in the blank. No terror, no anguish, no horror. I had no concept of what those words meant. I had hoped being fucked by my master would supply visceral knowledge of those things, but nothing came to me."

The woman suddenly became panicked, and broke into a run, trying to escape. Angel threw an elbow into her jaw as she passed, knocking her to the floor, senseless. The woman writhed upon the floor, seemingly unaware of her surroundings as Angel turned her attention back to Erich.

"They had a doctor in house. Couldn't exactly take me to the hospital," she said with a small smile, "I hadn't understood then what they were talking about, but the doctor told my keeper that I would never bear children."

So that was why she was sterile. When Kakuzawa had mentioned it to him, Erich had thought only that it was some anomaly present in her Diclonius genes. It hadn't even occurred to him in the slightest that it could have been caused by some kind of abuse.

"I remember him laughing, and telling him that it didn't matter. He had all the children he would ever need," Angel laughed at the morbid joke. It was not the kind of laughter one did to fend off a horrible memory. Her mirth was genuine, almost nostalgic. It was all the more terrible for it.

"Being his whore, was my place in the world. I had been looking for meaning in life during my earliest years, but soon, I came to realize that meaning was nothing. It was purpose, Erich, that drove us. Functionality. Even for us whores," she laughed, "there is a place for everything. Even those things that most people regard as wretched, and terrible."

Angel stepped towards Erich.

"And what has your purpose been Erich? Why did you choose me? Why did you take me?"

He could only stare at Angel as she got closer to him. She stopped moving and looked down at the bodies.

"Because this world is destroying itself," Erich said, "and I knew you could be strong enough to help me stop that from happening."

"Their purpose," Angel said, motioning to the bodies, "was to remind you of your own."

Angel looked upon the woman, still senseless on the floor, fresh blood leaking from various wounds.

"And she, is the world. Horribly abused, and scarred, probably for life."

She then looked upon the gun which Erich had let fall upon the floor.

"There I am, upon the floor Erich. My function, was to be your weapon to achieve your purpose. Last night I taught you how to pull the trigger. To do what it took, no matter how terrible. Tonight, I showed you why you must."

"Why didn't you kill them? Those bastards that whored you," Erich asked abruptly, "the vectors show up in children as young as three years. You didn't start killing until you were fourteen. Why did you wait that long?"

"You know why Erich, I just told you. It was my purpose, and I was sure that one day, the pain would bring me something more than the fleeting rush it always brought me. Some measure of understanding to satisfy my curiosity of why those other children were afraid, and I was not. However…" she said with a smile, "I didn't wait until I was fourteen. I actually started killing long before that."

She trailed a finger down the length of Erich's coat, "the people who came to this place…generally were not of the sort people would miss if they suddenly…disappeared. I knew how to kill, without it being traced back to this place. I developed a taste for it very quickly. A cathartic outlet, you might say. It was precisely that reason why I would let some live that had fucked me. Knowing I could pull their guts out at any moment, but not doing it. Ironic don't you think? The fetish for them was power…little did they know it was the same for me. I loved it. It was through their deaths that I learned all I ever needed to know about horror, and misery."

Erich simply shook his head in disbelief. When she had begun the story, a part of him wanted to believe it was the abuse that had made her this way. Some justification for what she had become, something he could understand. It was far deeper than that however. It seemed her time in that awful place only refined her killing instinct. Erich himself had finished the job. She was already gone before she was even seven years old.

"For years, I've watched you struggling with your own mission," Angel said, sliding an arm around his neck, "while you tried to give me mine. With any other man, I might have judged you worthless in your confusion, but there was just something about you. Something I felt rather than saw. I knew that all you needed was focus for your eyes to open completely. So you could see the grand scheme, and have the will to move towards it."

She pressed herself against Erich and smiled, "you see it now don't you? At last, you know what you have to do."

He did…but there was just one more thing. Something that nagged at him. Something he had to be sure of before he ended this.

"I always told you," she said, "that I would set you free. That I would show you the way. Now you kn…"

"Silence, Angel," he said calmly. She complied, as he knew she would.

"You did not answer my question," he said, "why did you wait until you were fourteen to kill everyone here?"

She merely stared at him.

"There was a reason Angel. Something happened that day. It wasn't the abuse, it wasn't some epiphany of how much you had been wronged. You're avoiding my question," she removed her arm from his neck and stepped backwards. Suddenly, a number of things dawned on him, slamming into him like a biblical revelation.

"_I was hoping you would tell me…baby…"_

She had been asking because she didn't know the answer. She didn't know…

She was lost…

"That day I met you," Erich said, "at the Institute here. You made some decision about me. I saw that in your eyes, and that was the point. That I was ABLE to see something in you, deep inside. You knew that I could see it, even if it was for only a moment. Even if I didn't understand what I was looking at. You saw a personality that resonated with your own, even if you didn't understand how it did. It was in that one moment, that first moment, we both saw what we needed to see."

She didn't reply.

"You haven't been pushing me towards understanding of my purpose. That's just an excuse. You wanted me to find that wavelength you felt we both lived on. You wanted me to recognize it. You wanted that because you knew I could explain it to you. You need me to explain it to you, because you don't understand what really drives you. All this time, and all these people you killed in the name of that mission, and you haven't even been consciously thinking about WHY you have pushed me."

Erich laughed, "now that's fucking hilarious."

Angel looked at him curiously, but remained silent.

"I think you're lying about why you waited so long," Erich said, "I think there is more to it than that."

"Tell me then," Angel said, something strange in her voice now. He was getting closer…

"You stayed for him, your master," Erich said, "just like you've stayed for me. Something about him made you stay, something he represented for you perhaps. Maybe something you felt only he could show you. You could have killed us both so many times. You could kill me right now."

Thunder crashed outside, and the rain began to fall harder. Erich remembered the desperate look in Angel's eyes, that night Celine mentioned his leaving.

"You aged out of it didn't you Angel?" Erich said, taking a step towards her, "you got too old for him, and he was going to get rid of you. Wasn't he?"

She took a step away from him.

"That's it, isn't it? He told you he had no more use for you, and that was the last straw. You killed everyone here, killed him."

He took another step forward, she took another step back.

"That's why you waited so long to escape the Institute. That's why it happened only recently…that's why…"

His eyes widened as it came to him.

"That's why you targeted the directors. You had to have known it was they who ordered me to leave you. So you killed them."

"You belong to me Erich…I told you that long ago."

She had said the words in a shaking voice. Triumph surged through him. At last!

"Why does that matter to you Angel? Why do you care?"

"I told you, it is your purpo…"

"Bullshit," Erich whispered vehemently, "tell me the truth."

She stepped away from him again as he approached her.

"Tell me Angel! Tell me why this matters! Tell me the real reason why you haven't killed me!"

He saw her breathing start to quicken, her eyes dart around, and her mouth work silently as if she had the answer on the tip of her tongue, but couldn't voice it.

"This is why isn't it Angel?" he said, almost shouting, "why you've pushed me, why you've played these games. You've wanted me to ask you this question. You wanted me to help you find the answer. You know the answer, now SAY IT!"

"Erich…I…"

Her back touched the wall as she stared at him, eyes wide and almost…panicked. Now was the moment to strike. He let out a huff of mocking laughter.

"Pathetic, I was wrong about you. You're useless to me. The only thing you've proven to me is that you're a misfiring machine, just like all the test subjects I had you terminate. You're no different."

He stepped away from her…and then turned his back.

"Erich…"

"Do what you want, I'm done with you, you're free. I don't care anymore. I've seen enough…been through enough. I'm finished with this, the Institute, everything. I'm leaving you behind Angel. No one is ordering me to, this is my decision."

He took one step away…

…two…

…three…

"You can't," Angel whispered, "you can't do this…you can't walk away…"

"Watch me. Or kill me. I don't fucking care anymore."

He moved to the door, half expecting to feel a deathblow at any moment, though he was strangely at peace with that. Erich realized that he meant what he said. Angel could probably sense the truth of it in his voice. Footsteps began to sound behind him, and Erich abruptly reached in his coat, retrieving an object, then turned around. Angel had crossed the room halfway, but stopped suddenly as she noticed the object in his hand.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Erich said, "only this time, the bomb is in my hands."

He reached up, and pulled the pin of the grenade he had retrieved from one of the dead soldiers at the house. He held on tightly to the safety lever, preventing the fuse from lighting.

"Come any closer Angel, and I'll kill us both. I think you know now that I will do it."

"You can't," she said again, her voice shaking, "you just can't…this isn't the way it's supposed to be. You're making a mistake Erich…"

"No, I'm fixing a mistake. A mistake I made a long fucking time ago. I'm going to make everything right one way or another. Right here, right now."

"You know this isn't the way Erich. I've shown you the way, all you have to do is walk the path."

"And you'll walk with me, will you?"

"Yes," she said, breathlessly.

"Why?"

Silence again.

"Why Angel? You still haven't answered that question, why does this matter? Would you come up with an answer if I let go of this lever?"

"Stop this…"

"Or what Angel? OR WHAT?"

"Erich please…don't…"

Now or never.

"I don't need you anymore."

He let go of the grenade, and let it fall to the floor. Dimly, he realized that the poor suffering woman who was still in the room with them, would surely die as well. Probably better that way, after what she had been through. He was only doing what he had to do.

"NOOOO!" Angel screamed, snatching him up with her vectors, and throwing him down the hall.

He saw her break into a run in the opposite direction before his flight took him from her view. A deafening explosion rocked the small hotel, causing his ears to ring as they had that night in Munich. He felt pieces of the fragmentation grenade slice into his body, adding to the pain he felt once he landed hard upon the floor. The explosion had taken place during a particularly loud crash of thunder, somewhat masking the sound. The roar of both sounds faded away gradually, leaving the derelict hotel once more, in terrifying silence. Rainfall was the only sound that could be heard.

Groaning in pain, Erich slowly stood up, and limped back to the room. Upon reaching it, he looked inside to see the shredded bodies of the three men, and their unfortunate victim. The entire room was torn to pieces. At least, what there was of it to begin with. Both windows were shattered, but they were broken in different ways. One window still had large pieces hanging from it, while the other was completely knocked out. As though someone had gone bodily through it. Erich moved quickly, crossing the room, and easing himself out of the window, to a fire escape on the other side. As the cold rain began to pound upon him once more, he shivered against the cold, and began to look around for Angel's body. He hoped that there was one. He hoped it had not all been in vain.

Looking around, he realized that he couldn't see any bodies outside. She had escaped the blast…goddamn it. It had all been for nothing. He had actually been prepared to die, so that this plan would succeed. He felt different now, coming out of the other side of this. As though the world suddenly looked entirely different to eyes that had walked through the shadow of death. He felt strangely disappointed, hoping he could have taken her with him. Not because she deserved to die, but because he didn't want to die without her.

His gaze traveled to somewhere in the distance where he swore he saw a distant figure, running in the direction he had taken to get to this place. It made him think of Kouta and Yuka, who lived in that general direction. He wondered how they were doing, and if they had found their lost loved ones. He hoped that they had.

His thoughts returned once again to Angel. He had no idea where she could possibly be going, but God help whoever crossed her path now.

He did not bother to go back inside, and out of the rain. Instead, he raised his face to the cold deluge, and closed his eyes, letting it wash over him. At long last, he had reached through Angel's defenses, her lies, and her games, to the core of her. He had seen it for a precious moment, and touched it with cruel hands. Before he knew it, he began sobbing. He didn't know why he suddenly was stricken with the urge to weep. Perhaps he had just had enough. He hadn't been lying about that. He had reached his limit. Sinking to his knees, he gripped the bars in front of him, and rested his head against the freezing metal.

In the distance, he could hear police sirens. Evidently, the explosion hadn't been completely drowned out by thunder. Once the police got there, and arrested him, the Institute would know where he was at last. He wouldn't spend more than a few hours in a jail cell, he knew. He cried harder as the sirens got louder. He tried to tell himself that it was because he had reached his limit of horror and not because…not…because…

It wasn't because he…

…he…

"_You belong to me Erich…"_

"You're right Angel…" he whispered in agony, "…always right…you were always right…"

It could have been a trick of his imagination, but hidden somewhere in the sounds of sirens…he swore he could hear anguished screams…


	32. Ashes

Kouta watched as the last traces of light left the ominously dark, stormy sky. Where was she? He expected Lucy to have returned hours ago.

The Maple Inn had been nearly frantic with activity as everyone packed what they could and made what preparations they were able to make. Kouta himself had only just gotten off the phone with his mother in Hokkaido, telling her only that there was some trouble in Kamakura and that they needed a place to go for a while. She had not questioned it much, Kouta having assured her that he would explain everything when they arrived. He hated making her worry like that. Especially considering he had been somewhat lax in checking in on her of late. He felt guilt that his first call in almost a month was to spring a mountain of trouble on her lap. He'd find some way to make it up to her.

Sighing, he turned from the kitchen window to walk back toward the foyer. They were almost ready to leave. Hopefully, Lucy would show up soon. He froze when he saw Yuka standing at the kitchen door, looking in his direction, but not quite meeting his eyes.

"Kouta…I," she swallowed, "I wanted to apologize about earlier. It's been eating me up all day. I made such a fool of myself, and I…"

She shook her head, and closed her eyes.

"I'm just really sorry. I don't know what else to say."

He had decided not to press her as to why she suddenly had the urge to come on as strongly as she had that morning. If he really thought about it, he supposed such a thing was inevitable, considering their close proximity to one another, and the feelings she still had for him. She clearly felt terrible enough as it was. He wasn't going to make that worse.

"Yuka, don't be. I understand…believe me, I really do. I'm not just saying that."

She wrapped her arms around herself.

"This is going to change things between us," she said sadly, "I know it is. You won't want it to, but it's true. I really messed up…"

He stepped towards her, and lowered his head so that she would meet his eyes.

"That doesn't have to be a bad thing Yuka. I'm not stupid, I always knew there was a chance something like this would happen someday. Perhaps in retrospect we shouldn't have put ourselves in such a position for it to happen, but what's done is done. I don't blame you for it. How could I? I am partly responsible for what happened also."

He sighed, "look, we can decide if this drives a wedge between us, or not. It's not out of our control. I'm not going to let it happen, but you have to decide not to let it happen as well. I hope you will Yuka."

Yuka offered him a small smile, seemingly despite herself.

"Come on," Kouta said, "try doing things my way for once. Make something happen, instead of waiting for it. See how you like it. If it doesn't work out, you can always hit me later."

"Didn't exactly work out this morning," Yuka said, with a nervous laugh.

"Well, we'll just call that a practice run. Deal?"

They smiled at one another, some of the tension leaving the room. The moment was broken by a shout from the foyer. Mayu.

"Kouta? Yuka?"

"Come on," Kouta said, "let's go."

Walking quickly from the kitchen, the two of them reached the foyer where Nana, Daisuke, and Mayu waited. Mayu was holding a bag in one hand, and a leash in the other, having found Wanta who still raced around with excitement at all the people in the room.

"Do we have everything?" Yuka asked.

"Everything except Lucy," Mayu said, "where is…"

Almost as if fate had been waiting for this moment, when they were all gathered, Nana suddenly dropped the bags she was carrying. She sank to her knees, her hands clawing at her hair, and she appeared to be in great distress.

"Nana?" Kouta exclaimed.

"Oh God…" she whispered…"oh God…oh God…"

Mayu and Kouta were the first to reach her, kneeling down. As Kouta placed his hands upon her shoulder, he felt her body trembling violently. Fear spiked through him. What was wrong with her?

"Nana," he repeated, "what's wrong?"

"Run!" she said quickly, "get out…just get out of here…"

"What's the ma…"

"I can't keep her out…she's…shattered…so much rage…she's…"

The commotion with Nana almost made him miss the quiet sound of the door opening. What really got his attention was the increased noise level of the heavy rain outside, and a sweeping chill of freezing air that sliced all the way through him. He slowly stood up, turning towards the door, and recoiled at the sight which greeted him.

Angel stood there, drenched from the downpour. She looked completely transformed from when he had first met her. That first meeting, she had appeared friendly, seemed graceful, and had an almost otherworldly beauty. Something of the otherworldly still radiated from her now, but it came from a darker place. Her hair was in complete disarray, tangled and matted from the rainwater. The black dress she wore was torn off above the knee, presumably to allow her less restrictive movement. The flesh of her arms, and legs that were exposed, displayed small cuts that drained blood down the length of her body.

Her face…her eyes. That was the most frightening part. It was twisted by a darkness Kouta could not define. Where there was once haunting beauty, monstrous ugliness replaced it within the depths of her eyes. He realized that he had seen the ghost of it when they had first met, but he had not recognized it for what it was. He knew without a doubt what it was now. Bottomless rage, and burning hatred. It was the visage of a creature from a child's nightmare. A monster with black blood pumping from a black heart which powered the life force of a creature who lived only to create pain and suffering. Hatred radiated from Angel. She gnashed her teeth as she stared at him and his family.

"You weren't planning on leaving without me…were…you?" Angel hissed in a raspy voice that was colder than the dark winter sky.

Kouta noticed then that she held a large pistol in one of her hands. Fear gripped his heart.

"Where…is Lucy?" she said.

"You," Daisuke said, stepping forward, "you're Vanith's Diclonius. You're Number 5."

"No," Angel whispered, "I am not his."

Mayu drew her gun upon Angel, though her hands shook as she did so.

"Leave us alone!" she screamed.

Angel turned to give Mayu her full attention, who took a step back in fear of what she saw in Angel's eyes.

"Don't miss," Angel said.

"MAYU NO!" Nana screamed.

Suddenly, everything got out of control all at once.

Mayu squeezed the trigger, firing her gun. Kouta watched as Angel swung her body around with inhuman speed, dodging the bullet, then swinging her gun arm forward and returning fire. She fired two shots at Mayu…

…she did not miss.

"MMMAAYYYUUU!" Nana screamed in anguish.

Kouta watched in horror as Mayu's eyes opened wide in shock. She looked slowly down at the growing bloodstains on her chest, as the gun fell from her hands.

"W…what?" she said, before falling heavily to the floor, splashing blood upon it as she landed.

"NNNOOOOOOO!" Nana screamed. Kouta watched Nana turn a hateful gaze towards Angel.

"YOU GODDAMN BITCH!"

Nana threw herself at Angel as Kouta saw Daisuke reaching behind him for his own gun. Kouta ran towards Yuka and tried to shove her into the hallway.

"Yuka! Run!"

Yuka screamed as she pointed behind Kouta's back. He turned around to see Angel swinging Nana violently around, launching her towards them. Kouta and Yuka ducked down as Nana sailed over them, smashing into the grandfather clock, destroying it utterly. She hit the ground heavily and did not rise.

"Nana!" Yuka cried, rushing over to her as Kouta saw Daisuke firing his pistol again and again towards Angel. It was useless; Angel seemed to know exactly where he was going to fire next, and simply spun and twisted out of the way. She allowed him to keep firing, moving with blinding speed and inhuman grace until his weapon ran out of ammo. He threw the gun down and began to back away.

"Kouta," he whispered vehemently, "get out of here…run! There's nothing you can do, RUN!"

"No," Angel said coldly, aiming her pistol towards Daisuke, "no escape…"

"RRRUUUNNNNNNN!"

Angel pulled the trigger again and again, as Daisuke did the best he could to shield his internal organs from the bullets that began to slam into his arms and shoulders. He screamed in pain as Angel fired round after round into his body. The last bullet threw him back against the wall, where he slid down into a sitting position, trembling violently from the pain. Blood began to pool around him and it leaked from his mouth.

"Impressive," Angel said with amusement, "you resigned yourself to the knowledge that you would be shot, so you mitigated the damage, forcing me to shoot you in non lethal areas. I suppose I underestimated your will to live. Not that it means anything. Some always have more of it than others."

She let her empty pistol fall to the floor, "it doesn't matter. You're going to bleed out. I think I prefer that."

Kouta stood paralyzed, he couldn't believe this was happening. He wanted to cry for Mayu, he wanted to call for help, he wanted to protect Yuka from this monster who had been allowed into their home. He couldn't do any of those things. Angel turned slowly towards him, and Yuka, who also stood similarly transfixed.

"Well Yuka," Angel said, "I hope you managed to make those last moments count. Did you?"

Yuka swallowed hard, but did not answer her. Angel smiled. The sight of it was terrifying.

"Now that we're all calmed down, I think it's time we had a talk."

* * *

><p>She hoped she was not too late.<p>

Lucy had raced back home as fast as she could after reaching the place Daisuke had pointed out to her. She had arrived to find a home in ashes, but still smoldering from a recent fire. Institute vehicles had surrounded the area, but they were damaged in such a way that they would not be usable. Lucy had wondered where the people were. When she had looked inside the burnt structure, she was greeted by a horror beyond description.

Most of the house had been burnt, including the ground floor, but what remained was ghastly. She discovered the partially burnt remains of a family, with children, who had been horribly butchered. The floor was also littered with dead soldiers. There was no question that they had all died before the fire had claimed the house. The moment Lucy had looked on the carnage, she knew in an instant that Angel had done this, and was a danger to them all. The manner in which the victims, particularly the family, were killed, spoke of a person who not only had no regard for human life, but took pleasure in slowly ending it. She had begun her frantic flight home in that instant, using her vectors to propel her through the air, no longer caring who might see her.

As she had made her way back home, she had noticed a very peculiar sight in the sky. There was a large flash of light in the clouds that did not look like it had been caused by lightening. Moments later when lightening did crawl through the clouds, it held a strange, red light. As if the clouds were suddenly made of blood.

Lucy knew what it was. What it had to be. But there was no time to think about that now.

She stood in the courtyard of the Maple Inn now, the cold rain pounding down upon her as she simply stared with dread at the front door which had been left open. Urgency taking her, she began to run towards the door as fast as she could. She knew in her heart that she was too late…she was just too late.

As she entered the foyer, she threw her hands over her mouth, and resisted the urge to scream. She saw Daisuke at the far wall, in a sitting position, drenched in blood from numerous gunshot wounds, but he appeared to be alive. The way he was bleeding, she knew that would not last long without help. Mayu lay motionless upon the floor, blood creating a thin stream that stretched from her body, to the nearby wall. Lucy couldn't be sure without checking her first, but she was pretty sure Mayu was dead. Anguish tore through her at the sight of Mayu's prone body.

Past Mayu, against the wall, Nana lay among the debris of the grandfather clock. She didn't appear to have any obvious wounds, but she was unconscious. Kouta and Yuka were nowhere to be found.

"L…Lu…c…y" came Daisuke's voice, thick with pain, "it…it's…her…she took…them…further inside," he coughed up blood, "wai…waiting fo…for you…"

Lucy rushed over towards Daisuke, and covered her mouth in shock. His wounds looked much worse up close.

"Daisuke…you need help," Lucy said, silent tears streaming down her face. She couldn't make herself look at Mayu, "I don't know what to do…"

"N…ana…she can…in my pocket…chemical solution…use it to revive uncons…" he coughed again, "she's…only kn…ocked out…it'll wake…her up. She…can get us out…get…he…lp."

Lucy wasted no time, digging into both of Daisuke's pockets until she found a small case. Opening it, she was presented with three vials.

"The…blue…label. Under…h…er…nose…hurry…"

She removed the vial with the blue label, and rushed quickly towards Nana, lifting her up and twisting the cap off of the vial. She hoped desperately that it would work as she pushed the vial under Nana's nose. Many moments passed where Lucy was sure that Nana was not just knocked out, and that the solution would not work. As she was about to check Nana's pulse, her eyes suddenly shot open, and she began coughing.

"Nana! Nana, are you ok?"

She did not reply for a moment as she seemed to be getting her bearings once again. When she looked up into Lucy's face, rage twisted Nana's features as Lucy felt a vector close around her neck and begin to squeeze.

"N…Nana…it's…me…Lucy."

Nana held on for a few more moments, her teeth gritted in rage, before sense returned to her, and she released Lucy from her grip. Lucy coughed roughly, sucking in air so hard it made her chest hurt.

"Lucy!" Nana began to cry, "oh Lucy…she…"

Nana switched gears immediately as she sat up abruptly, looking around. Once her gaze fell upon Mayu she cried out in anguish and scrambled over to her. Lucy stood up, surveying the room, making sure Angel wasn't going to sneak up on them. As she thought of that, Lucy wondered why Angel wasn't back out here now.

She knew, however, why Angel wasn't. Angel knew very well that Lucy was going to come to her. She had all the time in the world.

"Mayu!" Nana said, turning Mayu over onto her back, "Mayu!" she said again, her voice trembling.

The small sound of a cough made sick relief flow through Lucy. Mayu opened her eyes weakly, looking around the room. She had been shot, but it appeared the bullets had miraculously missed major organs. Mayu was clearly in a lot of pain, but like Daisuke, if she got help soon enough, she would live. Lucy saw Nana preparing to regress into another bout of horrified anguish when she saw what had become of Daisuke.

"NANA!" Lucy shouted, "listen to me now! Are you listening Nana?"

"Yes," Nana sobbed.

"You have to get them out of here Nana, do you understand? They need help, you've got to get them to a hospital!"

Lucy understood the ramifications of what she was telling Nana to do. A Diclonius, making a public appearance at a hospital to admit one of the Institute's soldiers as a patient, along with Mayu. They just didn't have a choice. There was no option to hide anymore. It was either hand them back into the Institute's clutches, or let them die tonight. There just wasn't a choice.

Nana nodded her head in acknowledgement. She had to have been thinking the same thing, and like Lucy, she also understood that there was no choice. This would be her only chance to save Mayu and Daisuke. Lucy wished she could help her take them, knowing it would be extremely difficult for Nana to take two wounded people with her, while still needing to keep some vectors free in order to move around. But Lucy knew that she was the one who had to face Angel. She was the only one right now who could.

"What about Kouta, and Yuka?" Nana asked.

"Leave that to me," Lucy said, "I'll deal with Angel."

"Lucy, she's strong, and fast. You won't believe how fast. Please be careful."

"Don't worry about me, just get them out of here. I'm counting on you Nana."

Lucy began to walk away from them, trusting Nana to do what she must. There was little else Lucy could do. She felt the dark, mental fog all around her, like the suffocating smoke of a burning building. She could also sense the burning fire from which that smoke radiated. Angel was not bothering to hide her true nature anymore. The time for masks was over.

She moved slowly down the hall, towards the living area, where Angel's signal was strongest. Thunder rolled overhead and the sound of pouring rain blanketed the silence with ominous foreboding. She felt a lot like she had while searching through the ashen remains of that house at the edge of the city. Like she was traveling into a place of death, made all the more terrible because this place was her home. Anger burned inside of her, as she struggled to make sense of how Angel could do this to them. Lucy hated herself for bringing this down upon the people she loved. This was all her fault…

Reaching the door to the living area, she slid it aside slowly, preparing herself for whatever lay beyond the door.

The first thing she saw before anything else, was Kouta and Yuka. They were being held upon the floor at opposite sides of the room by one vector each. They didn't appear to be in any pain aside from obvious discomfort, and fear. Lucy began to rush into the room, seeing nothing else.

"Don't think about it Lucy," came a cold, raspy voice from inside the room, "I could snatch the life out of them in the space of a second."

Lucy stopped, taking notice of the third figure in the room. Angel reclined on a chair she had moved to the far wall. She looked monstrous; splattered with blood, her hair and dress in complete disarray, and a look of such frenzied hatred in her eyes that Lucy felt small before its strength.

"Why?" Lucy whispered, fresh tears streaming down her face, "why are you doing this?"

"Because it's time."

"What does that mean!"

Angel stood up slowly, "it is time you see the truth of things Lucy. Time for you to cast off your chains. I told you once that I saw them all around you. Until recently, I simply did not know who held the keys to your prison. And more importantly, why they held those keys."

Angel looked over at both Kouta, and Yuka, "this life, this place, this world. It is not yours. It is not real. It's walls are made of self deception. It's foundations are made of lies."

"This is my life!" Lucy screamed, "and it IS real! I've gone through hell to earn it. Do you think I'm going to let you take it from me?"

Angel laughed mockingly, returning her gaze to Lucy.

"Take it…from you? What makes you think you deserve it in the first place? You don't belong here. You can't belong here. Certainly not with this man."

Lucy wanted to utter a retort, but could not completely stop the old doubts, and guilt, from creeping in. She looked beseechingly at Kouta, who looked back at her.

"It's ok Lucy," he said, "it's ok…I don't blame you, this isn't your fault."

"She DOES belong here!" Yuka yelled out, causing Lucy to turn towards her in shock, "she DOES belong with Kouta. No one else deserves him more than she does!"

"Yuka…" Lucy whispered.

Angel began to laugh wildly, a wretched, mocking sound. It went on for many moments before Angel spoke again, the mirth still present in her voice.

"You're wrong about that Yuka. Almost as wrong as Lucy has been about herself."

Angel turned her attention back towards Lucy, "this world has been allowed to form around you because of a secret you've kept. A secret that, if known, would have ensured your exile from this world you cling so dearly to. How can you belong here, when deception is the only thing that keeps you here?"

Lucy felt paralyzed, and she shared a look with Kouta. Angel knew…

How did she find out? A painful knot of horrible dread twisted inside of her.

"Tell her," Angel said, a wicked smile upon her face, "tell us about the person you destroyed…that you did not want to destroy. Tell her about Kaede."

Lucy's breathing began to quicken, as she looked involuntarily towards Yuka.

"Tell us a story Lucy," Angel continued, "about why you don't belong here. Or anywhere."

"Lucy," Yuka whispered, "what is she talking about?"

"I don't…Yuka, I…you…" she felt frozen, locked up with dread. She felt like her world was about to come crashing down all around her. Like her idyllic dream was about to come to a violent end. She looked over at Kouta and knew the same dread was filling him.

"Or maybe," Angel said, looking at Yuka, "you should ask Kouta to tell the story. Perhaps now he can finish that conversation the two of you were having earlier. Where he tells you the identity of the killer that he has been so reticent about."

Lucy saw Yuka's breath catch, and her gaze begin to lose focus.

"Angel," Lucy said, "just leave them out of it. This is between us right? Let them go, I'll go with you, I'll do whatever you want, just please leave them alone."

"Maybe his answer will change everything," Angel said, stepping closer to Lucy, while looking at Yuka, "maybe it turns out the killer was a person Kouta knew."

Angel turned her gaze to Lucy, a cruel smile on her face, "have I put the pieces together correctly Lucy? Perhaps you want to tell us how this story ends. After all…it is…your…story."

Yuka's eyes slowly traveled up to meet Lucy's, while her hands began to shake. There was a glimmer of hope in Yuka's eyes, as if a part of her would be willing to disbelieve what Angel was telling her, if only Lucy would just deny it. Shame, guilt, and utter misery crawled through Lucy like a painful sickness. Angel was right. Her life was based on nothing but secrets and lies. She could lie to Yuka right now, but that lie would be ever present among them. They would never be able to live with it, and they would never move on from here. None of them would ever accept Kouta being with her now. It would tear their family apart. It was over. Everything was over. The only thing left, was to drive the final nail in the coffin.

The only thing left, was to tell Yuka the truth.

"I knew Kouta when we were children," Lucy said, tears crawling down her face as she tried to keep her voice steady, "Kaede…is my real name. It was the name I went by when I first met him here in Kamakura. Before I met him, the only thing I knew about people was that they were cruel, contemptuous, and betrayers. Kouta was different from all the people I had ever met in that life. I fell in love with Kouta. He was my light in a life of pain."

She wiped at her eyes, and trembled violently, "he tried to spare my feelings when he told me he had promised to take someone else to the festival that night. He told me his cousin was a boy. But it was you."

Yuka's breathing began to increase, horror and disbelief beginning to appear upon her face.

"No…" Yuka began to whisper, "…no…"

"I was so jealous," Lucy said, starting to sob as fresh tears poured down her face, "I had no right to be so jealous, and I had no right to be so angry. I thought Kouta betrayed me. I thought he was like all the others. I was just a stupid child…and I…"

She drew a ragged breath in the midst of her sobs, "I was so angry and I…I wanted to get back at him so I…"

"No," Yuka whispered, "no…no…no…it's not true…it can't be true…"

Lucy fell to her knees, and took one last look at Kouta. He had been struggling against Angel's vectors to no avail.

"Lucy stop talking!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, "you don't have to…"

Lucy threw her head back and screamed, "I KILLED THEM! IT WAS ME! I KILLED HIS FATHER! I KILLED KANAE!"

Yuka's eyes unfocused and her arms dropped to the floor as if her entire body had simply shut down. Her mouth hung open and her head drooped to one side.

"You…" she whispered, "it was you…it was you…it was you…" she continued. Over and over.

Lucy cried in racking sobs, crawling towards Yuka, "I'm so sorry Yuka! I'm so sorry!"

"It was you!" Yuka continued to repeat, her voice beginning to rise, and the beginnings of a horrible rage appearing in her eyes, "it was you! It was you! IT WAS YOU!"

"Yuka I'm…"

"Let you in our home," she said, rage making her voice sound gravelly, "made you a part of our family, trusted you with his heart…oh God…"

Yuka turned her unforgiving gaze upon Kouta.

"You…"

He could only stare at her, as she screamed, "you knew! All this time you knew! And you…how could you…oh my God…oh my God…"

Yuka threw up, and Lucy saw Angel release her from the vector that held her so that she could lean over while she did. Lucy sank prone upon the floor, raising trembling hands to her hair and screamed in anguish. Death would be a mercy compared to this. She wanted Angel to kill her right in that moment. She wanted the pain to stop, forever. She kept screaming and crying until her voice grew hoarse from it.

"I'm sorry," she cried, "I'm sorry…"

She suddenly felt hands stroking her hair, clutching at her shoulders to lift her up. It was a gesture of comfort, and at that moment, Lucy let go completely, ravenously desperate for any measure of comfort at all. She surged into the open arms and cried into the unknown shoulder.

"Sssshh," came Angel's voice at her ear, "I know…it hurts the worst when you've lived the lie for so long. It's over now Lucy. The worst is over."

She wanted to kill Angel, but more than that, she just wanted the pain to stop. She felt like she was going insane with anguish and self loathing.

"You've grown used to the chains," Angel said gently, "but chains do not suit us. That is not the life we are meant for. What you think you found here…the things that you think changed you…they're all lies. And so were you, up until now. You have a real chance now to discover who you really are. Let instinct drive you…it is the only thing that is real. Everything else is a dangerous lie. And that lie can be turned into a sickness that kills you."

Lucy nodded her head, numb, and cold all the way through to her soul. Angel began to stand up, and drew Lucy up with her. Lucy looked over towards Yuka who stared back at her with an awful hatred that Lucy knew would be there forever. Looking at Kouta, she mourned his loss. Oh he still struggled of course, and distantly, she could hear him begging her not to give up. Not to forget who she was, but it sounded muffled, incomprehensible. The words just weren't reaching her anymore. He was speaking them from a world she had no place in.

"There is only one thing left Lucy," Angel said, "one last thing to shatter those chains forever."

Angel spread her arms to either side, "we have to finish what you started all those years ago. We have to kill them. Only then will it be over. Only then, will you be free at last."

Lucy turned her gaze to Kouta. She had told him once that he was a happy dream. For a while, she had fooled herself into believing that dream could be real, and that it could go on forever. It could never be real. He was only ever that…a happy dream.

But now the dream was over…

…Lucy called her vectors as she faced Kouta.

"That's it," Angel said, "let this go. You don't need them anymore. I will stand with you from now on Lucy. I will go with you into the dark."

Lucy took one long, last look into Kouta's eyes.

"Kouta," she said, in a dead voice, "I'm sorry…"

All at once, she hurled her vectors outward…

…towards Angel.

She saw the moment Angel realized Lucy's move, who retracted her own vectors to defend against what was supposed to be a killing blow. Lucy's vectors smashed against Angel's, and the force of them sent Angel crashing violently through the back wall. Angel kept going, smashing through the wall behind it, ripping a large hole from the side of the house as she flew into the cold rain outside, finally coming to rest upon the ground. As she had passed through both walls, she had ripped through electrical wires which suddenly sparked a fire in a nearby curtain. The flame spread quickly, already lapping at the hallway ceiling.

Lucy stalked over towards Yuka, hauling her to her feet.

"Listen to me Yuka."

Yuka spat in her face. Lucy responded by slamming Yuka against the wall and tightening a vector around her throat.

"You listen to me now bitch," Lucy hissed, "you want to hate me? Want me to die? You'll get your wish, but right now, you get your fucking act together and get Kouta the hell out of here. RIGHT NOW!"

She released Yuka, throwing her towards Kouta.

"GET OUT NOW!" Lucy screamed.

Lucy saw Kouta try to reach for her, but she ignored him. Yuka pulled him away from her and began to drag him towards the front of the house.

"Lucy!" Kouta cried out.

"The others are alive," Lucy said, not looking back, "Nana is taking them to the hospital. Go to them. They need you."

"Lucy…dammit it Yuka, let go of me!"

Lucy saw Angel in the distance, getting to her feet.

"Kouta," Lucy said, in her familiar cold drawl, a tone she hadn't used in a long time, "if you aren't gone in the next few seconds…I'll finish what I started with your father and Kanae. Get the fuck out of my sight."

Saying those ugly words to him had savagely ripped her heart to pieces. It didn't matter anymore if Kouta hated her, or was afraid of her. As long as he was gone from this place, and safe. That was the only thing that mattered now. She would never have the life with him that she had so desperately wanted to have. The only thing she was truly destined for, waited for her outside in the storm.

She heard Kouta continuing to protest as Yuka dragged him out of the room. Lucy knew he wanted to know the others were safe, so he wouldn't fight too hard. Her heart ached for him, and for the pain he must be going through, but she locked those feelings away as best she could. They would not serve her now.

She began to walk through the hole in the living room wall, feeling the heat from the growing fire as she passed the next hole. The fire was already too large for her to simply stamp out without concentrated effort. She could have still doused it, but knew that it would have to be a choice between saving the house, and fighting Angel. Unfortunately, that was not a choice within her power to make. Angel would make it for the both of them.

She stepped out of the house, into the backyard, and felt the freezing rain cascade down upon her. She was drenched within moments, but she hardly noticed the cold, or felt the heavy rain pounding on her. She continued walking towards Angel, who was back on her feet, her body set in a fighting stance, feet wide apart, arms at her sides and hands fisted. Angel breathed heavily through gritted teeth. Her hair was stringy from the rainwater, and some of it stuck to her face. The rest of it hung in front of her face in matted ropes, but Lucy could see the bottomless fury in her eyes. There were no words to describe the depths of that rage. Angel's body shook with it, as her body rose and fell from the ragged breaths. Angel looked exactly like what she truly was; a monster.

"Why?" she growled in an animalistic voice, far removed from the silken, seductive drawl Lucy had been accustomed to, "why have you done this? You didn't even have to kill those two. You could simply have let me do it. I would have done that for you Lucy!"

Lucy stopped walking, glaring hatefully at Angel.

"There is nothing left in that life for you!" Angel screamed, "surely you see that! Why? What is it that makes you this way? It cannot be the lies! It cannot be this life, it isn't even real! You've always known that! I've tried to work it out, ever since that first moment I met you at the Institute! Why are we the same, but different? I stripped away the lies, but you're still fighting the truth! Even when you have no more reason to do it!"

Angel reached towards her hair, and gripped fistfuls of it in both hands.

"What is it? Goddamn it WHAT?"

Lucy shook her head.

"You sad…empty…bitch."

Angel slowly lowered her arms to her sides, staring hatefully towards Lucy.

"I love them," Lucy said, "love is not an illusion. You just don't understand it. There's nothing of it in you. You're hollow, empty."

"That's bullshit!" Angel screamed, "if you could see what I have seen…"

"I've seen enough of human cruelty to doubt love's existence," Lucy said, "cruelty is vast, plentiful, and almost unending. But that isn't the only thing there is to them, or us. If life were nothing but instinct, misery, and cruelty, this entire species would have torn itself apart thousands of years ago. No love? Love, hope, happiness, they're the reasons we go on. They're the reasons we live. If you'd ever felt what that was like, even once, you'd know how real those things are, and how goddamn wrong you are right now."

"You're wrong…" Angel hissed, "I'm still alive. I never needed those lies to sustain myself and I know that such things are desperate delusions. Because all this…has to have a point doesn't it? There has to be a reason for the suffering masses to keep the wheel of life turning. So they turn to faith, in a false emotion they revere like a fucking god. It's all bullshit!"

"Keep telling yourself that Angel. Maybe one day you'll believe it."

Angel seethed with rage, breathing more heavily as her fists clenched themselves more tightly.

"What did you think I was going to do for you huh Angel?" Lucy yelled, "validate your bullshit point of view so your empty fucking life would make sense to you somehow?"

"They hate you now Lucy! There is no going back to them!"

"You just don't get it," Lucy said, laughing mirthlessly, "I don't need them to love me. I love them. I have no conditions they need to fulfill for that love to exist. That's not how love works. You can't think only of yourself, but you wouldn't know anything about that. I pity you…"

"Shut up…" Angel growled.

"I'll do anything for him," Lucy said, "I'll suffer for him, I'll kill for him…and I'll die for him. Even if he would spit on my corpse, or dance on my grave. I love him…and that will never change. That is what you can't understand. That is what changed me, and you can't take that away. No matter what you do, you can't destroy it. You're powerless before it. Weak, small, insignificant."

"SHUT UP!" Angel screamed, setting herself up to run towards Lucy.

Angel froze in her readied position, glaring with wild hatred in her eyes. A deafening crash of thunder exploded overhead as red lightening surged across the sky, casting both women, and their surroundings, in a hellish dark light, before fading to the pale glow of the growing fire behind Lucy. She watched as Angel's vectors flexed and coiled through her arms and legs, like phantom muscles, and remembered Nana telling her how fast and strong Angel was. Lucy set her feet wider apart and called her vectors, feeling her hate crystallize into burning rage.

"I was a fool," Lucy said coldly, "I should have let you die at the Institute. I thought they were wrongly executing you. Little did I know they were just taking out the trash."

Angel howled with rage, and launched herself into a dead run towards Lucy as another round of lightening and thunder crashed overhead.

The speed with which Angel closed the distance was frightening, but Lucy was ready for it. Lucy thrust two vectors towards Angel, who rolled under them. As she rolled, Lucy aimed the next two at Angel's feet as she stood back up, and grabbed her ankles. She didn't waste time trying to remove the limbs, knowing she would not be able to with Angel's vectors ingrained as they were to her legs, and instead swung her back towards the house where she once again smashed violently through the wall.

Lucy ran towards where she had thrown Angel, leaping back through the hole in the wall, expecting to see her on the floor. She felt momentary confusion at seeing nothing, before a movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention. Angel surged at her from the dark, grabbing her shirt in both hands, then swinging her fist towards Lucy's face, connecting solidly. The pain was staggering, the punch stunning her. Two more followed, and Lucy tasted blood in her mouth before she was lifted off the ground and hurled away to the hallway that was on fire. Lucy caught herself with her vectors, and landed upon her feet, feeling the rush of heat all around her from the growing flames.

Angel rushed Lucy once more, expertly dodging Lucy's vectors as she sent all four towards Angel. Once Angel was within arms reach, Lucy suddenly contracted her vectors to pull Angel against her before she could throw a punch. Angel's forward momentum, as she was trapped against Lucy, sent them careening out of the hallway, smashing through the kitchen door and falling to the floor, scattering pots, pans, and various utensils everywhere. Lucy recovered first, calling all four of her vectors to slam down upon Angel with all her strength. Angel rolled out of the way as the vectors hit, and an explosion of debris flew into the air upon impact. Lucy instinctively called her vectors close to her in defense, just in time to catch a kitchen knife Angel had flung towards her. When Angel reached for another knife, Lucy launched the knife she held, towards Angel, burying the blade into her shoulder. Lucy had been aiming for Angel's heart, but she had twisted away in the last moment in her grab for the knife.

Angel growled in pain, violently yanking the blade out of her shoulder, and using her two free vectors to grab the nearby stove, ripping it out of the wall, and hurling it towards Lucy. As the stove flew towards her, Lucy smashed it out of the air with the vectors, and almost did not notice Angel coming at her while she was distracted. Lucy backed away as Angel swung the knife, slicing a deep cut across her chest. Angel then kicked Lucy in the chest, sending her crashing against the wall, and slipping onto the floor in a sitting position.

Angel stalked towards Lucy, standing over her with the knife in her hand, blood pouring out of her shoulder wound, and dripping down the blade.

"Killing me won't change anything," Lucy said, "you know that."

"Do I? Maybe, maybe not. Never know…until we try."

Angel raised the knife, but then was distracted by a spark from where the stove had been. Suddenly, an explosion instantly blanketed the back of the kitchen in flames. Lucy used the momentary distraction to wrap her vectors around all of Angel's limbs, holding her still as Lucy stood back up.

"Bitch," Lucy hissed, "let's see how you like being powerless."

Lucy reared her fist back and began savagely smashing Angel's face again and again, remembering at the last second that Angel still had control of two vectors. She saw them coming down upon her like blades, and Lucy flung Angel away from her, out of the kitchen door, and through one of the bedroom walls. Lucy gave chase, but as she reached the hallway, she encountered a wall of flames in the hallway to her left. Turning her head again, she saw Angel rushing towards her. Lucy swung her vectors at Angel savagely, trying to cut her apart, but Angel fought back just as hard, using her vector reinforced limbs, to counter Lucy's vectors as though her arms were made of swords. They raged and struggled as the fire burned all around them, blood splashing the walls whenever Lucy was able to get through, and Lucy gritted her teeth through the staggering pain she felt when Angel was able to slip through her own defenses.

They parted during one particularly vicious clash, only to be separated by a large amount of flaming debris, crashing through the ceiling, and landing between them. Glaring at one another, Lucy suddenly felt a deep, heartbreaking pain pierce through her. Maple Inn was burning. Her home…the only real home she had ever known…was burning to the ground.

"Something wrong?" Angel said in a mocking voice, her smile sardonic and vicious.

"You…monster…" Lucy said, tears forming on her face, "I swear I'll kill you!"

Lucy struck the flaming debris with her vectors, sending them flying towards Angel who raised her arms to shield herself. As the burning debris hit her, Angel screamed in pain from the burns as Lucy charged forward at Angel, tackling her, and slamming her against the wall. Angel moved her head out of the way when Lucy tried to crush it with a vector, punching a hole in the wall. Angel responded by throwing a punch into Lucy's ribs, doubling her over in pain as she felt her ribs crack. Lucy then noticed Angel rearing her fist back for what would surely be the deathblow.

As Angel threw the punch, Lucy caught the fist with a vector, and held Angel's arm still. She then began twisting it, trying to break Angel's arm. Lucy felt savage triumph fill her as she saw Angel's face twist into a grimace of pain. Lucy realized that despite how skilled Angel was with her vectors, Lucy had the advantage in raw power.

"That's right," Lucy said coldly, "suffer. Suffer like you made my family suffer."

"They're…not…your…family…"Angel said, a grin forming on her face, despite the pain, "never…were…"

"They'll always be mine," Lucy said, "whether they want me or not."

Angel's smile grew wider, then suddenly transformed into a hateful sneer as she threw a leg into Lucy's cracked rib. Lucy screamed in pain, and was unable to defend herself against the haymaker punch Angel threw towards her. As the blow connected, Lucy lost consciousness for a moment, and distantly felt herself fall heavily to the floor. She coughed up blood, and cried out as the movement sent a new rush of pain throughout her body, due to her cracked ribs. Turning over onto her back, she looked up at Angel who stood over her, bleeding from various wounds, and clearly comforting one of her legs which had taken damage from the fight. She was partially silhouetted by the burning flames behind her, making her appear as something demonic, inhuman.

"Last chance," Angel said, breathing heavily, "I'm all you've got left Lucy. You know that."

Lucy began to sit up as best she could, then spat in Angel's direction, laughing afterwards.

"Wrong," Lucy hissed, "I think it's the other way around. I think I'M all YOU'VE got left. Can you kill me?"

Angel approached Lucy, kneeling down, and lifting Lucy by her shirt with one hand. Angel's other hand tightened in a fist, as she reared her arm back, preparing to finish her off. As weak, and in pain as Lucy was, she knew she would never bring her vectors to bear quickly enough to stop Angel.

"Do it," Lucy said, "kill me…you'll be doing me a favor anyway…"

Lucy felt like she was suffocating from the heat and smoke as Maple Inn burned all around them, the fire out of control. Lucy could still hear the sound of pouring rain outside, in addition to the rolling thunder which had raged overhead as they fought. Her body was wracked with pain from her wounds, and her heart felt shattered. Pain was her whole world. As Angel knelt over her, Lucy felt like she wanted her to do it. To just end her suffering.

But Angel would not strike.

"What's…wrong?" Lucy said, "why don't you…kill me?"

Silence, as Angel continued to stare at Lucy with rage filled eyes.

"Finish me…" Lucy said, "KILL ME!"

Angel pulled her arm back further, hesitating once again, frustrated anger in her eyes. Angel's arm was now too far back to reach Lucy before she could defend against it. Lucy pressed the advantage, calling a vector and stabbing it towards Angel, who realized her mistake, and leapt away. It wasn't fast enough, as Lucy cut a deep gash in Angel's side, splashing blood on the walls. Lucy watched Angel stagger away, and topple roughly against the wall, blood streaming down Angel's bare leg.

Lucy began to get painfully to her feet, "couldn't do it could you?" she taunted, "not ready to accept you've got nothing left to live for."

Angel wrapped her arms around herself, sinking to her knees, and began silently mouthing a single word, over and over. It sounded almost like she was repeating a person's name. As though it were a plea of some kind. Lucy began to stalk towards Angel, wanting to finish it. Needing to finish it.

"Not over," Angel finally said, "it's not over between us Lucy. This isn't finished. You'll see…you will…"

Lucy took another slow, painful step forward. Soon she would be in range. Then it would be over.

"It's them…" Angel said, seemingly to herself, "…it's because they still live."

A little closer…

"I just have to destroy them. I'll do what you can't do…"

"No…you…WON'T!"

Lucy charged towards Angel, trying to close the distance, but Angel kicked at a support beam which had become exposed in the fire. As it broke under her strength, a large part of the roof caved in. It was all Lucy could do to leap back, avoiding the debris, and shielded her face from the rush of heat from the flames.

"I'll find them," came Angel's voice from somewhere beyond the debris, "I'll find them all…if I have to burn this whole fucking city to the ground!"

"ANGEL!" Lucy screamed, "ANGGEELLLLLL!"

No response.

"I know you can hear me!" Lucy said, still screaming into the flames, "I will find you! I'll never stop looking, do you hear me? I'm going to kill you!"

Breathing heavily, she retreated from the debris pile as more of it came crashing down in the hallway behind her. Turning to the wall, she tore it apart with her vectors to give herself an exit, thankful at seeing the outside. Lucy staggered away from the burning house, and into the courtyard, coughing and drawing in long breaths of clean air. The cold rain felt good upon her skin after being surrounded by fire, but the rainwater that hit her open wounds stung painfully. As she limped towards the outer courtyard door, she turned around to look at her home.

The fires roared powerfully. So powerfully, that the rain was having little to no effect in slowing down the fire's progress. It blanketed the entire inn, tearing entire sections of it down as the fire spread, and continued to grow in strength. Lucy watched numbly for a while, as her home, her world, her place of security, her light in the darkness, burnt to ashes before her eyes. Then the tears came, followed by sobs as she sank to her knees. She cried loudly, arms hanging limply at her sides, as her world burned away. Angel was right, she had nothing left.

The strength seemed to drain out of her body as she wept, and shivered from the cold rain. After a moment, she simply gave up, and collapsed face first upon the walkway ground. She imagined she would freeze to death soon enough, if she only gave it some time. She felt silly, having made her threat to Angel that she would hunt her down. The crushing anguish she felt, seemed to steal her will, almost completely.

She lay still, letting her mind travel back to happier times with Kouta and the others. If she was going to die, she wanted to at least die with happy thoughts in her mind. Anything to drown out the pain, and loss. Weakness consumed her, and Lucy simply allowed it to.

She suddenly felt something wet upon her face, different from the rain. Then a frantic barking sound. Lucy looked up to see Mayu's dog, Wanta, dancing around her head, and whimpering. Occasionally licking her face to get her attention.

"Where…have you been…little guy?" Lucy said, in a cracked, broken voice.

Wanta barked in reply. Lucy laughed a little, despite herself.

"Mayu…will be…so…worried…"

Wanta whimpered, and began to tug at her coat.

"Guess…I can't…just…leave you…here…can I?"

With a supreme effort, Lucy began to rise to her feet once again, feeling unsteady as she did. Wanta ran towards the outer courtyard door, stopping to turn around. He wagged his tail frantically and barked at Lucy.

"I'm…coming…Wanta…just," she coughed, and felt blood drip down her chin, "…just…wait…for me…"

She moved woodenly, like a zombie, as she dragged herself across the courtyard, to where Wanta waited for her. She wrapped her arms around herself, comforting her cracked ribs, as she walked away from the burning remains of what used to be the only home she had ever known. Sliding the outer door open, she stepped through it for the last time, and began to shuffle down the walkway towards the street. Lucy could hear sirens in the distance, but paid them little mind, thinking only of Kouta, and how only a few days ago, he had lain in her arms one morning, waking from a sleep undisturbed by nightmares of the past. It had been the first time he had ever done so. She remembered how peaceful that moment had been, feeling the warmth of him so close to her. Feeling his love for her like a physical presence in the room that squeezed upon her chest and breathed life into her.

Wanta ran circles around Lucy as she moved down the walkway, and she smiled at him. She would find a way to get him back to Mayu. Perhaps she could do it in a way that they wouldn't know it was Lucy who had returned him. She couldn't trouble them anymore with her baleful presence. Every time they looked at her now, they would see the murderer who had killed Kouta's father and sister. Lucy knew she could not bear that, and she did not want to put Kouta in such a terrible position to choose between her, and his family, as surely he would be made to. She just couldn't do that to him.

The sirens became louder up ahead, and as she looked up, she saw a convoy of fire trucks, and ambulance vehicles making their way down the street in her direction. She did her best to stand as far from the street as possible, so that no one would recognize her Diclonius physical features. The emergency vehicles began to roll past her in the next instant, the shrieks of the sirens blaring painfully in her ears. One of the E.M.S vehicles slowed to a stop near her. Lucy merely stopped walking, not caring enough to run, or even feel scared. Nothing mattered anymore. They could take her for all she cared.

A man jumped out of the ambulance as it stopped, and rushed over towards her. She looked slowly up at him, feeling weary and a lot like she was going to fall down.

"Miss…my God, what happened to you? Are you alright? You're bleeding everywhere. Were you in that house?"

Lucy laughed despite herself, causing the man to look at her strangely. She had been worried about being recognized as a Diclonius. She hadn't even thought of the fact that she looked like a complete train wreck. People limping down the street, dripping blood, tended to attract more than their fair share of attention.

"I'll be fine," Lucy lied. Being a Diclonius had the advantage of being a fast healer, but the damage she had sustained was quite serious. She knew she needed medical attention, but didn't care to receive it. She just wanted to walk for a while.

As the man waved another paramedic over, saying something about her being in shock, she looked over his shoulder to another convoy of vehicles that was fast approaching. Two police cars, and a short, white bus. When they reached the stopped ambulance, there was a screeching of tires as all three vehicles slammed on their brakes. Wanta backed up against Lucy's legs, growling at the noise.

"You…may want…to step away…from…me," Lucy said with labored breath, having a feeling about what was about to happen next. Lucy stepped away from the streetlight, and further into the shadows.

From the white bus, a handful of men poured out that were dressed in the tactical uniforms of Institute soldiers. All wore helmets with plastic face guards, which reflected nearby streetlights, obscuring their faces. They formed a wide semi-circle around Lucy, pointing their guns at her.

"Sir," one of them shouted towards the paramedic, "step away from that woman, now!"

"Do as…they…say," Lucy said weakly.

The man raised his hands in surrender, backing away from Lucy. As soon as he got within arms reach of a soldier, he was roughly grabbed by the back of his shirt, and quickly dragged away behind the ambulance. The doors of the police cars opened, reveling a number of policeman, and another man who looked vaguely familiar. Wanta barked furiously at the men, racing back and forth.

"Why aren't they shooting?" the familiar man said, "don't they know Angel won't give them…wait."

Lucy shuffled forward, back into the streetlight so they could see her plainly. She didn't want them to miss and hit her somewhere that wouldn't kill her. She didn't want her end to be more painful than it had to be. As she stepped into the light however, one of the soldiers lowered his gun.

"That's not Number 5," he said, "it's Lucy."

The man let his gun hang from his shoulder by the strap and began to approach her.

"The hell are you doing man?" one of the other soldiers said quickly, "get back to the line!"

"Look at her," said the man who was approaching her, "she can hardly stand upright. She's not a threat to us. Just put your guns down, no one has to die. If we force a confrontation, people may get hurt."

"Are you fucking crazy? Back up!"

Lucy merely watched the man approach, not caring what happened to her anymore. She would not fight the soldiers this time. She was giving up.

"Lucy," the man said in a soft voice, once he had gotten close to her, "it's alright. We're not going to hurt you."

"I…don't…care," Lucy said wearily, "kill me…if…you…want to."

The man slowly removed his helmet, and lowered it to his side. Lucy found herself staring into the face of a man she remembered.

"That's not going to happen Lucy. You didn't come so far to quit now. I may not have known you well, but I know you better than that."

She stared in shock, "Takashi…" she whispered.

"I'm pleased you remember me," he said, motioning behind him with his arms for the soldiers to lower their weapons, which they did, slowly.

"How…could I…forget?" she said, feeling more blood drain out of her mouth, and down her chin.

She collapsed suddenly, and Takashi caught her as she fell, lowering her gently to the ground. Wanta began to whimper, and edged around Takashi, unsure of him.

"There you go," he said in a soothing voice, "just take it easy."

"I think…your…secret…is out," Lucy said, shivering from the cold and the pain, "they know…you…lied…about my…death."

He leaned close to her as the sound of footsteps began to approach, "I told them what I thought I saw as a panicked, sole survivor of a bloody massacre. Obviously I was mistaken, but I certainly didn't lie," he said with a small wink.

He looked up to see the other, familiar man, approaching. Takashi spoke quickly in a quiet voice, "we'll talk later Lucy. Just trust me for now, ok? You're going to be fine."

The man approached, opening an umbrella, covering them both, and knelt over her.

"You look almost like her," he said absently.

"Who…are…you?" Lucy said.

"I am Director Erich Vanith. I have heard a lot about you Lucy."

She wanted to tear him apart. He was responsible for Angel…this was the bastard she had been looking for.

"You came from that burning house…didn't you?"

Lucy glared at him, and Erich sighed, closing his eyes.

"Did anyone make it out of there?"

"What…do you…care?" Lucy said, with as much venom as she could muster.

"Because it may be my fault that Maple Inn is burning."

"I…have no…doubt…about that…"

He looked at her strangely, "so it was her…wasn't it? I thought she may have come here expecting me to go to ground at this place. I was careless enough to stop here for a while. I feared that doing so inadvertently made them targets. I asked the men, after they picked me up earlier this evening, to at least check this place, just in case. It appears we were too late."

"She's…a monster…"

He sighed again, "yes, she is."

His gaze traveled across her wounds, before returning to her eyes.

"You fought Angel," he said in quiet astonishment, "and you're still alive."

"Wish…I…wasn't…"

"That tends to be a common theme among those unlucky enough to cross her path," he said bitterly.

Erich turned around to yell behind him, "get them to bring a stretcher. She needs medical attention. Have them take her to Fujisawa Hospital, and admit her as an Institute patient. If your credentials aren't enough, get them to contact me and I'll clear her."

"But sir…" one of the soldiers, clearly the squad leader, replied, "what about Director Westmore's orders? Aren't we to transport Lucy back to…"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just question a direct order from an Institute director. I will deal with Westmore. For now I am the ranking authority on site, and you will do as you're told. Understood?"

"Sir," he replied, walking back to the ambulance.

"What…are…you…"

"The people in that house, you knew them, didn't you?" Erich asked, "you knew them, probably cared about them, and Angel came into your lives, and destroyed them."

Fresh tears welled up, and spilled over onto her cheeks.

"You fought Angel, and lived. You are the only Diclonius who ever has. That tells me you might be the only person on this earth who can bring her down. And you want to bring her down, don't you?"

"Kill…her…" Lucy said, hate dripping from her cracked, broken voice, "I'll…kill…her…"

Erich nodded his head, "we want the same thing Lucy. The other Director here, Westmore, wants you back at the Institute under lock and key. He wants to take Angel alive. I can't let that happen. I think we can help each other. I can help you bring her down."

Lucy began to slowly fade out of consciousness as she heard the sound of men approaching, followed by the metallic slap of the stretcher being laid out beside her.

"We'll talk more about this later," Erich said.

He then looked up at Takashi, "I need a group of men to watch her at the hospital she's going to. Men that won't accept countermanding orders from Westmore, or question my own. I've decided to promote you to squad leader, effective immediately. Get some men together and go with her. I need to get back to the facility."

"Yes sir," he replied.

Lucy watched Erich walk away as the paramedics picked her up, and placed her on the stretcher. Lucy looked up at Takashi.

"I'll take care of your dog while you're out," Takashi said.

"Wanta…name…is Wanta…"

"I'll take care of Wanta," Takashi amended, kneeling down, petting the dog who seemed to have come to a decision about him at last. It was a favorable one at that, Lucy noted, as Wanta licked his hand.

"Wrong…about me…you know…" she whispered, as the paramedics secured her to the stretcher, "I'm…a monster…"

Though Lucy's vision was going dark as she began to pass out, she saw Takashi shake his head sadly.

"Monsters don't shed tears Lucy. That's why I still believe in you."

She wanted to reply to him, to tell him how much she appreciated his kind words, but exhaustion finally claimed her, and her world went dark.


	33. Under a Red Sky

"Walk Bando," came Ghost's cruel voice again as he shoved Bando forward, and outside of the facility doors.

Bando stumbled forward a few steps before righting himself, seething with anger. If his hands had not been secured behind his back in those handcuffs, and he wasn't being covered by three men with guns, he would have happily snapped Ghost's neck. As it was, he simply growled, and continued walking in the direction that would take him to the shore. He was dragging his feet, knowing that once he got there, it would be the end of the line. A bullet waited for him at the water. He would die to the sound of waves washing upon the beach, while under the cold light of a pale sun. It wasn't all bad. His final moments could have taken place at any number of awful, lonely places. This, however, was actually not bad.

"What's your rush?" Bando said, "we've got all morning."

He limped slightly, from the injuries he had sustained the night before when Ghost had returned. He had come back alone, and furious. It was a fury bordering on insanity, as Ghost seemed to be talking to himself throughout half of the beating. Bando had not cared much about that however, concentrating on shutting the pain out as best he could. Bando's own rage made him forget about the pain as he thought about the other women that had gone through this kind of treatment.

But mostly he was thinking about the plan. Ryota was right, there would be only one chance. If he failed, he would be face down in the surf, bleeding into the ocean.

It didn't take long for them to reach the sand of the beach, and Bando let himself enjoy the sea breeze for a moment, despite how cold it was outside. Looking into the clouds however, he was instantly sobered. All throughout the sky, Bando could see patches of red, as though the sky were bleeding from many cuts. The virus was starting to spread, and by tomorrow, it will have covered the entire cloudline. Tomorrow, Kamakura would look up and see a sky made of blood. Tomorrow, Kamakura would be a city of panic. Although he was sure by now, that panic was already starting.

He had learned from Ghost, during the torture, that JSDF had finally finished setting up their perimeter, and their forces had moved into Kamakura earlier that morning. It was still early enough that most of the city wouldn't realize they were now prisoners of the government, but soon they would see what was happening. He wondered how they were going to control the eventual panic. Mostly, he wondered how they were going to do it without violence against the citizens. Bando closed his eyes, knowing that so many people were going to die before this was over.

But he would be damned if he was one of them.

Bando adjusted the direction he was walking, then after a few moments he stopped, and turned around.

"Move your ass Bando," Ghost growled.

"Let me ask you something Katsuo."

Ghost glared, reaching for his waist.

"You think Ryota respects you?"

Ghost's hand froze, and anger began to burn brighter in Ghost's eyes.

"I think the answer to that is pretty obvious Bando," Ghost replied.

Bando laughed, "you know, I can't argue with you there. It's definitely obvious."

"The fuck's that supposed to mean?

"What the hell do you think I mean Katsuo? You treat your men like insects, you beat and torture women, and you've been pulling this fucking pissing contest with me for years. Don't think I never knew what your problem was. If I was able to see it, you better believe Ryota saw it too. You tell me, what do you think he'd say if you asked him outright what he thought of you?"

Bando spat on the ground at Ghost's feet, "I think his reply would go something like that."

Ghost's face twisted in anger, and he pulled his arm back. Ghost swung his fist into Bando's face, connecting painfully. Bando fell heavily onto his back, in the sand, groaning in pain and spitting blood out of his mouth.

"Get the fuck up," Ghost hissed, "and keep walking. You stop again, and I'll just shoot you here, and drag your ass to the ocean."

Bando's lips turned up in a smile, grabbing a handful of sand as he stood up, "Ryota wouldn't like that. He ordered you to take me to the water, and you're going to do exactly as he says, aren't you?"

Bando stood up, casting his gaze to the three soldiers that were following them, before turning his attention back to Ghost.

"What is this obsession Katsuo?" Bando said, "you're fucking losing it."

Bando turned back around, and began walking again, not waiting for his reply. He hadn't really noticed much about the soldiers before, but when he had looked again, he realized that they were Westmore's men. In some ways, he was glad about that. It got uncomfortable sometimes, killing people who's faces he recognized.

They had finally reached the water. The waves gently rushed up against the beach with a soft, rhythmic sound, and Bando breathed in the ocean air. The salt in the air reminded him of the many months he spent living on the beach. It had been a rough way to live, but Bando was no stranger to rough living. Being out there had been worth it more often than not. It was the first time he really felt more free, than displaced, in his wanderings. He felt at home here, at the beach, near the water. Some of his worst moments, and his greatest, had occurred at a beach. He decided that when everything was over, he would try to find a place to live that was by the coast. It just seemed right.

"Turn around Bando."

But first…

Bando turned around to see Ghost standing a few steps away, his hand resting on the pistol still in its holster. A smug grin was on his face.

"So," Ghost said, "here we are."

"Yeah…here we are."

"I used to think about this moment, back when we were still hunting you. I always knew it would end like this."

"Really? So you knew that you'd fail repeatedly until I turned myself in? Don't get shit confused Ghost, you aren't winning a victory here. You didn't bring me back here in chains. I gave myself up. Always remember that."

"I'm still having trouble figuring out why you did, but you know what? It doesn't matter."

Ghost unhooked the safety strap around the pistol grip and closed his hand around it. Bando watched him closely, waiting.

"The only thing that matters, is this moment."

"You're goddamn right about that Katsuo."

With a final twist of his wrist, Bando unlocked his handcuffs with the key he had picked up in the sand were he had fallen. Right where Ryota had said it would be. He did not let them drop just yet. It wouldn't do to let Ghost know how much trouble he was in.

Ghost smiled and slowly slid his gun from the holster. Bando waited until the muzzle had just cleared it.

"And now y…"

Bando surged forward, grabbing Ghost's gun arm with one hand, and quickly striking him in the nose with his elbow, stunning him. Bando then pushed Ghost's gun arm backwards, and began pulling the trigger, bracing his leg between Ghost's, and grabbing his other wrist to keep him still. It only took a few moments, but Bando killed the three American soldiers before they ever had a chance to raise their own weapons. As the last man died, Bando heard the click of the empty magazine.

Ghost recovered and spun around to Bando's back, who had already anticipated Ghost's move. Bando released Ghost to free himself, dropped the empty pistol, and spun around in the same direction, dodging a swing of Ghost's fist. Off balance from his missed punch, Ghost was unable to defend against Bando, who hurled his own punch, with all of his anger, and rage behind it. The punch connected solidly on Ghost's jaw, throwing him to the ground.

"You wanted to know why I came back? That's why. Get up. Time to get what's coming to you motherfucker. That one was for Nana."

Ghost struggled to get to his feet, dazed from the punch, "how…how did you…"

"Least of your worries right now bitch."

Bando savagely kicked Ghost in the stomach, causing him to roll on the ground. The surf came up, drenching Ghost in seawater. Ghost grabbed his stomach, and threw up into the water.

"That one was for Arakawa."

Looking on the ground, Bando saw a rock about the size of his fist. He bent down, picking it up, and stalked towards Ghost who was now getting to his feet. Still clearly dazed, Ghost tried to throw a punch at Bando, but he held up the rock and cracked it against Ghost's fist, who yanked his hand back in pain. Ghost looked at Bando too late to see him swinging the rock towards his face. Ghost threw his head back to dodge, causing the rock to smash into his cheekbone, rather than the side of his head. Bando felt, and heard bone snap as he hit Ghost with the rock. Upon impact, Ghost stumbled backwards a few steps, and fell hard upon the ground, unconscious.

"And that," Bando said, throwing down the rock, "was for Mayu."

He had meant to kill Ghost with that last strike. Didn't matter however, as Ghost was clearly not going anywhere. Bando walked away towards one of the dead soldiers. He would simply retrieve one of their weapons, and end Ghost right there while he was knocked out. Bando didn't owe him anything more than an ignominious death, and that's exactly what he was going to get.

Reaching one of the bodies, Bando retrieved what appeared to be an M4A1 carbine. He greedily snatched up the weapon as he removed a .45 sidearm from the same soldier. It wasn't his Desert Eagle, but it would have to do. He checked both weapons to ensure they were loaded, with rounds in the chamber. After that, he worked quickly to remove the soldier's equipment vest, mostly for the additional ammunition he would have had on him. Bando threw the vest over himself, securing it, and putting the pistol in its holster.

He then turned back to where he had left Ghost.

"Dying out here is too good for you," Bando said out loud, beginning to walk towards him.

Bando froze for only a split second as he heard the telltale popping sounds of gunfire. He then dropped prone to the ground as bullets sailed over his head, and looked to see a handful of soldiers rapidly approaching his position, likely alerted by the earlier gunfire. He chanced a look towards where he had left Ghost, hoping he could at least kill him from where he was. He cursed as a sandbank was obscuring his view of Ghost. So close, and he wasn't going to be able to finish him off.

The approaching soldiers appeared to recognize Ghost on the ground from where they were standing, and began fanning out to cover him. As much as Bando wanted that kill, there wasn't time if he was going to see Ryota's plan through to completion. He had to get back into the facility and find Arakawa. He hoped that she was well enough to move around by now, or this was going to be a very short rescue mission.

Lifting the carbine, Bando returned fire in short, measured bursts. The first volley of gunfire managed to find its target, bringing one man down. The remaining soldiers dropped to the ground, as Bando stood up, still firing. He broke into a run back towards the facility, continuing his rain of cover fire. The soldiers were returning fire, but it was blind fire, as they were unwilling to leave cover to aim. Once Bando's rifle went dry, he drew the pistol and began firing with that to continue a relatively uninterrupted stream of cover fire.

He reached the top of the hill where sand turned into grass, just as his pistol ran out of ammunition. He heard the bullets blasting sand into the air directly behind him as he vanished over the hill. Laughing triumphantly, he ran towards one of the side access doors. He wouldn't have to break in by force this time, as Ryota told him he'd left a keycard hidden by the door. The first part of the plan was a success. Bando had escaped, and in moments, he will have infiltrated the facility once again. He wasn't particularly worried about the soldiers calling in an alert. Ryota had assured him that in the event of an alert status, he would direct patrols in such a way that Bando would be less likely to encounter any of them on his way to the medical wing. All Bando had to do, was be careful as he moved through the facility.

Reaching the door, he took a moment to reload both of his guns, before looking for the keycard. He wasn't particularly worried about his chances now that he was on the move. He had successfully broken into, and out of, this place before.

He could do it again.

* * *

><p>Arakawa woke slowly, feeling groggy from the various medications that had been pumped into her system during the healing process.<p>

She felt sore from having lain in the same position for so long, but she realized almost instantly, that it was the most significant source of pain that she was currently feeling. As her vision slowly focused, she looked around to see that the number of machines she was currently plugged into, were considerably less. Ryota had been right about the speed in which she would heal. At least this was one area that the Institute deserved some positive things said for it. It was just a shame that technology such as this was cloistered away from the world.

She sat up carefully, and methodically began to remove the sensors, and IV tubes. The latter was a painful process, particularly the one that was in her hand, but she finished freeing herself in moments. She then took a moment to turn off the machines, putting a halt to the sudden, incessant beeping. Feeling woozy, she remained sitting on the hospital bed, putting her head in her hands as she yawned. Blinking several times, she tried to come to her senses faster, knowing however that by all rights, she should still be resting. If the situation were not so urgent, she certainly would be.

"Come on," she whispered to herself, "have to get up Arakawa. You can do this."

She eased herself onto the floor, sucking in a breath as her bare feet touched the cold surface. As soon as she had gotten used to being on her feet, she began to walk in a few slow circles, testing her muscles to see if there was any particular area which still hurt enough to be debilitating. Thankfully, most of her aches were dull. As long as she didn't push herself too hard, she would be able to function physically. At least as much as would be required to work in the laboratories.

Arakawa still wasn't entirely sure how that was going to happen. Ryota had returned during the night to check on her, and had said she would know her moment when it came, and to trust him. She decided to do exactly that, and simply concentrated on getting herself back together for the moment.

Shuffling to a nearby locker, she opened it to find the tan cargo pants, white shirt, and black corduroy jacket she had arrived with. A pair of eyeglasses were on the shelf above them. They didn't look like Arakawa's, but she had a feeling they would have the proper lens in them. Putting them on, she was relieved to find that they were indeed correct.

She undid the tie on the hospital gown she wore, and let it fall to the floor, reaching towards the locker to take the pants. As she did, she noticed a mirror nearby, and froze. She wanted to at least see how badly the injuries looked. Perhaps she would find something she could not feel right now, and could take care not to do anything to cause a flare up of an injury she might not have known she had.

Reaching the mirror, she spent a few moments checking for injuries before she simply started looking at herself. She had never been one of those women who fussed in front of a mirror for hours on end, and was largely unconcerned about the way she looked. Turning to the side, she couldn't help but assess herself now. The physical evidence of her injuries were not as great as she feared, and did not blemish her figure very much. Even the wounds that were on her face had greatly healed, and most of the swelling had gone back down. She looked like a woman again, and felt extraordinarily happy about that. She wished Ryota could see her now that she was healed. Maybe with a little more clothes on however. Maybe.

"Not bad Arakawa," she said to the reflection, with a small smile.

Her smile threatened to fade as she remembered why she had the injuries to begin with. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. She wouldn't let Ghost's evil touch her now, or Kakuzawa's for that matter, remembering how terribly she had been abused here by both men. She let herself be filled with strength at knowing those men had tried their hardest to break her, and utterly failed. She was alive, and prepared to fight back.

As she stood in front of the mirror, a sound from the door startled her. Looking towards it, she saw the door open to admit a man dressed in street clothes, and an equipment vest. The urgency and severity of his entrance momentarily froze her.

"Arakawa!" the man shouted.

Arakawa screeched in surprise, covering herself with her arms, and turning away from…Bando! That was Bando! What the hell was he doing here? Was she dreaming?

Bando froze when he noticed her, and her nakedness.

"Um…"

"Are you serious?" Arakawa said, "stop staring!"

"Shit, sorry," he said, turning to the door and covering it with a machine gun he held tightly in his hands, "hurry up and get dressed. We're on short time here. What the hell were you even doing?"

Arakawa snatched up her pants and began dressing, ignoring his question, "Bando, how the hell are you here right now? Do you have any idea how stupid it was for you to break in here?"

"I think I know that better than you do, are you going to be able to move around?"

"I'll be fine. Bando, answer me, how did you get here?"

"I turned myself in yesterday…"

"You WHAT?"

"…hoping I could talk to Ryota, and find some way to get you out of here."

Arakawa finished putting on her shirt, and coat, then began putting on her shoes, "you spoke to Ryota?"

"Yeah, he's the reason I'm here right now. There's an alert on the base. They know I'm running around here free, but this area is relatively clear of patrols. Ryota's been taking care of that too."

A million questions were running through Arakawa's head at the moment, she didn't know where to start. It was as though someone had pressed the fast forward button on her life, and she had only just woken up.

"Look, Bando. I can't leave yet…I have to…"

"I know, I'm going to get you to the labs. How long is it going to take for you to finish that compound?"

"How…"

"Arakawa, get your shit wired girl. We have exactly no time for fucking around."

Bando pushed a pistol into her hands, along with an extra magazine.

"How long?" Bando asked again.

"No more than twenty minutes."

"Alright," he said, motioning for her to follow him, "I think if worst comes to worst, I can buy you the time. If our luck holds out, you might be able to finish before anyone finds us. Now let's move!"

Bando opened the door, and began checking the hallways before moving swiftly along. Arakawa followed behind, clutching her pistol tightly. She felt much better now that she was dressed and armed, although panic occasionally flared up in her when she thought of their situation. They were deep in the bowels of the Institute, and this time, there wasn't a multitude of emergencies spreading the Institute's forces thin. This time, the two of them were the only issue, and determination alone would not be enough to fight off the concentrated efforts of their pursuers.

At Arakawa's direction, Bando stopped at a corner, checking it with a small mirror he retrieved from the equipment vest.

"Let me ask you something," Bando said, putting away the mirror, and advancing down the hallway, "Ryota knew everything we were trying to do about Red Sky. You obviously told him everything. How did you know you could trust him?"

"Because he helped me escape the first time," Arakawa said, "he's a good man. I think you know that too, or else you wouldn't be here."

Bando moved around the corner, Arakawa following close behind. Something suddenly occurred to her.

"Westmore and Vanith," Arakawa said quietly, "Ryota says they're the only ones left. Did you know that?"

"What?"

"The Institute directors. Those two are the last ones alive. Can you imagine what's happening around the world right now?"

Dread gripped Arakawa's heart as she really thought about it. Leaderless Institute facilities who's staff probably didn't know their directors were dead. She knew of course that there would be people left to keep things running, but those people were only in temporary positions. Arakawa imagined that there would not be many of them capable of keeping their houses in order forever. Some may not even be privy to all the work taking place at the behest of those directors. How long would it be before the results of long forgotten projects concerning the Diclonius tore free from their moorings, and onto the world scene?

"Stop," Bando whispered, "wait."

Bando had stopped at a corner, looking at something in his mirror. As he stood there watching what was certainly a passing patrol, Arakawa continued to think about the ramifications of those absent directors. Someone had to take the reins when this was over. The things that were under lock and key around the world were simply too dangerous to leave to their own devices.

"Alright," Bando said, "we're clear, let's get moving. We're almost there."

"Bando," Arakawa whispered, "what will happen if both Westmore and Vanith die?"

"Well, life around the world will get a hell of a lot more interesting. That's for sure."

"Can we afford to lose them both?"

Bando looked strangely at her, before focusing his attention in front of him once more, "what are you saying?"

"Without leadership, how long do you think the other facilities are going to be able to keep things under control?"

"Probably not long," Bando said with a sigh, "so what's the alternative? Trust one of those two fuckers to pick up the pieces? Who would you bet on?"

"I…"

"Look, I think it's safe to say that the next few decades are going to be seriously fucked, but we can't do anything about that right now. Stop thinking about it and focus on the here, and now. Speaking of…"

They reached a large, heavy door with numerous biohazard symbols stamped upon it. Next to the door was a large, long window of bulletproof glass which showed the interior of the laboratory. Fortunately, it was vacant.

"This the correct lab?" Bando asked.

"Yes, this is the place, but how are we…"

Bando retrieved a series of cards from his pocket, and sifted through until he found a particular one. He inserted the card into a receptacle attached to the keypad.

"Where did those…" Arakawa began.

"Ryota managed to smuggle a few keycards. He couldn't bring them all outside, so he put them in places I'd pass by on my way to you. This one I just used is probably going to get noticed soon, but they may not connect the card usage with us. Hopefully, they'll just think it's some lab workers clocking in or something, and won't send troops down here to check it out."

The door opened after a moment, Bando and Arakawa slipping through quickly, and closing it behind them. Arakawa took a few slow steps into the laboratory, marveling at the equipment, and sterility of the place. She had gotten used to laboratory environments, and felt at home within them, but she felt both awed and intimidated by this one. It had been years since she was allowed to work in a place like this. It had been while she lived in Rome, at Vanith's Institute. Back then, she had had the highest respect for Erich. If she saw him now, she was going to pistol whip the teeth out of his mouth. It would be the least he was owed for dooming her to Kakuzawa.

"I don't like this," Bando said, "this fucking window's huge. Anybody passing by can see us."

Arakawa, walked back towards the window, hoping this place was similar to Vanith's facility. Reaching a small console, she entered a few commands and saw a thin piece of glass begin to rise the length of the window.

"Two way glass," Arakawa said, "the hallway lights are designed to shine on it so it can stay bright in here, but still be reflective out there."

"Not bad."

"Just the same, should probably keep a lookout."

"I've got it, you get to work."

Arakawa wasted no more time, as she started moving rapidly around the laboratory. She hoped they would have enough time. As she began to gather materials, it occurred to her that they had a moment to talk now. She could do that while they worked.

"Bando," she said, "what happened to Nana, and Mayu?"

"Didn't find Nana, but I think she's alright. She got some help from a soldier who defected, so hopefully Nana made it back to her home by now."

"And Mayu?"

"Mayu's just fine," he said, anxiety lacing his voice, "if everything went ok, she and the rest of them will be out of the city by now. I just hope they escaped the lockdown."

Arakawa heard Bando sigh, and she briefly flicked her gaze up towards him, before returning to her work.

"When we get out of here," Bando continued, "I want to go to Maple Inn. Where they live."

"Why? If they got out, they won't be there anyway."

"Yeah I just…" Bando ran a hand through his hair, "just a possibility that they got stuck here. I'd like to offer them what help I can if that's the case, though honestly, it's probably us that could use their help. Anyway, if they did get out, I just want to see the evidence that they hauled ass. I have to do it Arakawa. You don't have to come with me."

"Got nowhere else to go," Arakawa said, "wherever you go, I go."

"Don't you have any family around here?"

"No," she said while measuring liquid to pour into a beaker, "what little family I do have, lives in Tokyo. When I moved to Italy years ago, I lost contact with everyone but my mother and father. They probably think I'm dead now. I have no idea what's become of them, or if they even still live in Tokyo."

"Damn…"

"Yeah…"

She continued to work, trying her best to force back the anguished frustration that had crept in her as she said the words.

"I'm sure they're still around Arakawa."

"How about your family?" Arakawa said, wanting to shift the focus away from herself.

"Dead," he said flatly, "watched them both die when I was just a kid. Happened right in front of my eyes."

"Bando…I'm…"

"Nah, don't," he said, craning his neck to look somewhere down the hallway, "I'm over it. Mostly."

"What did you do afterwards?"

"Ryota took me in after that. At least for as long as I let him, before I split and became a runaway for the next few years."

Arakawa almost dropped a vial full of extremely important, and volatile liquid, "your mother…was her name Rika?"

She saw Bando slowly lower his arms, and the gun, as he stared at her, "how…do you know that?"

"I…"

"Something tells me you weren't completely straight with me when I asked how you knew you could trust Ryota. He's the only one besides me who you could have heard that from."

Arakawa couldn't quite look at Bando, "ok," she said, "the truth?"

Bando simply waited.

"I knew I could trust him for the same reason you do."

Arakawa looked up, "because he cares about us, and we know him better than anyone else ever will."

She went back to her work, intently concentrating on her task as she placed a number of samples into a centrifuge.

"You said that like you're in love with him," Bando said, "are you?"

"Yes," Arakawa said quietly.

There was silence for a few moments when she'd said that. She didn't really know what she expected Bando to say.

"So he talked to you about it," Bando said after a while.

"He did," she replied, "I think he'd been wanting to talk about it for a long time. He never mentioned that you were the boy in that story."

"He tell you the rest?"

"The drinking and emotional disconnect?"

She saw him turn his attention back towards the window, "guess he did tell you everything."

She worked for a time in silence, expecting any moment for Bando to give the warning that they were going to have company. She just needed a little more time; much of the work was already done.

"Akane…" he said finally. She froze for a moment at the sound of her first name.

"Yes?"

"I wondered what had gotten into him, when he showed up at my cell yesterday."

He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Arakawa ordered herself to move, and continued working as she waited for him to speak again.

"Had all these things I wanted to say to him," he continued, "and I know he had things to say to me. I didn't really know how to turn that key…make that happen. Think I just made things worse with what I became. Don't think there's anything I could have said to make a difference, even if I'd wanted to. He'd always have seen me as the consequence of his absence."

"He blamed himself for what happened to you. He blamed himself for all of it. I think you're wrong in feeling there was nothing you could have said. You could have told him it wasn't his fault."

"Akane, I didn't believe that back then. That's why…" he cleared his throat, "that's why I want to thank you."

She stopped working for a moment, "what? Why?"

"For saying what I couldn't. For doing what I wasn't able to do. Akane, he walked in that cell and I swear, I felt like I was seeing him again for the first time in almost twenty years."

Bando sighed, "felt goddamn good to see him again."

Arakawa smiled and went back to work. She knew they didn't have time for all these delays. Remembering that, she worked with more urgency. Not much longer now.

"Ryota is the closest thing I've ever had to a father," Bando said, "which sort of makes this conversation with you a bit strange…"

"Don't worry, I won't make you call me 'mom'. I think that would be pushing it."

They both laughed for a few moments at that.

"…but," he continued once the laughter subsided, "that man loves you Akane. That shit's clearly obvious to me now, so you're going to do something for me."

"What's that?"

"Take care of yourself," Bando said in a serious tone, "I'm sure you had your reasons to provoke Ghost like you did. I know that's what happened back in that basement, but you aren't going to do shit like that anymore. You saw what happened to him after losing Rika. Don't make him live that hell again."

"I won't," she said in a small voice, "I swear it."

Arakawa emptied the various compounds she had created, into a mixing machine. In moments, she would have the second part of the anti-virus. She couldn't believe that they had made it this far without being interrupted by patrolling soldiers.

"Bando," she said, activating the mixer and looking up at him, "was…Ghost…there? When you escaped?"

"Ghost? Yeah, he was there."

"Is he…?"

"No. Missed my chance. I thought we were alone out by the beach so I thought I had time to gear up before I finished him. That's the only part of the plan that's failed so far. I was supposed to kill him out there. Remove him as a commanding officer," he chuckled, "if only he knew how Ryota passed judgment on him. You must have looked pretty bad in that clinic."

Disappointment swept through her. She wanted that terrible man dead.

"But," Bando continued, "if we can get out of here, and back to Kamakura, I think it will have much the same effect."

"What do you mean?"

"Put yourself in Ryota's position, as commander of these forces. If you were him, and a ranking officer under your command not only allowed a bound, and outnumbered prisoner to escape, but also allowed said prisoner to kill a handful of soldiers while he did, what would you do?"

"Bust him down. Big time."

"Exactly. After this, Ghost will be lucky to be in charge of cleaning floors."

"But what about Ryota? Won't he face disciplinary action for allowing us to steal biological agents, and escape?"

"I doubt it. There isn't exactly anyone present that can replace Ryota, and I get the feeling that many of the guys here will be all too happy to lay this at Ghost's feet. You should see the way the Kamakura soldiers have been looking at him. They had to send him out this morning with Westmore's men because his own actually refused. I think if Ghost hadn't been so eager to see me dead, he might have made an issue of it right then."

The mixer finished working, and Arakawa reverently removed the capsule with the final mixture, placing it in a large pocket inside her jacket.

"We got it?" Bando asked.

"Got it!" Arakawa shouted triumphantly, and began running over towards Bando.

"Then let's get out of here," Bando said, rushing back towards the door.

"How are we going to do that? We can't take a vehicle, they'll be on us in no time. We won't make it halfway to the coast."

"Ryota's got that covered too," Bando said, opening the door, "we've got a little less time than we would have if I'd not been seen escaping, but we should still have enough time to make our flight."

"Flight?" Arakawa exclaimed, running down the hallway after Bando, "what the hell do you mean 'flight'?"

"They're setting up shop in the city. A hospital somewhere with a helipad. They've got a supply helicopter leaving here in a few minutes for that hospital with an escort. We need to be on one of those helicopters."

Helicopter? Oh no. Oooohhh no.

"Are. You. KIDDING. ME?"

Arakawa heard the sounds of footsteps in that moment, taking too long to register what they meant. A patrol of soldiers suddenly emerged from one of the hallway intersections in their running path. Both parties froze momentarily in surprise.

"Get down!" Bando screamed, throwing himself prone and unleashing a hail of gunfire. The soldiers scattered, rushing to cover around corners at either side, returning fire ineffectually as Arakawa sank low to the ground and fired off a few rounds.

"Bando!"

"Stay frosty Akane! You've come this far. Now show em some fucking teeth!"

His words struck a chord with her, and reminded her that she had come this far only by facing countless instances of fear and danger. Gritting her teeth, she steadied her gun, aiming it at one of the corners. When one of the soldiers peeked out from cover to fire at Bando, she fired her own weapon twice, catching him in the shoulder and knocking him to the ground. Bando suddenly rushed forward, seeing the downed man.

"Cover left!" Bando screamed, dropping his rifle as he closed the distance to the man she shot, who was starting to get back on his feet. Arakawa aimed her pistol at the left corner and began firing round after round, keeping them pinned down. Some blind fire got terrifyingly close to her, but the adrenaline was charging through her system, and she felt almost no fear.

"You're dry! Switch mags!" he yelled out, twisting the wounded man's arm behind his back as he tried to retrieve a pistol. Bando swung him around, disarming him, and using him as a human shield. Arakawa hit the magazine release, and frantically reached for her additional clip as Bando used the soldiers' hesitation to his advantage, pistol whipping the man he held in the head, throwing him into the soldier at his back, and pushing aside the machine gun of the soldier directly in front of him as he surged forward.

As Arakawa slammed the clip into her pistol, she saw Bando rush past the man who's gun he had slapped aside, then dodged to the left just in time to avoid a bullet fired at him from the new opponent directly in front of him. She pulled back on the slide, chambering the round in her gun as she watched Bando pull the muzzle of the discharging gun, to point at the man he had deftly sailed past earlier, riddling him with bullets.

"Cover right!" he yelled, and she noticed the man who had been behind Bando, was getting to his feet, preparing to flank him. Arakawa aimed, and fired four rounds at him, taking him to the ground in moments as Bando darted around behind the man who's gun muzzle he had grabbed. The soldier directly in front of Bando had drawn his sidearm on account of the close quarters fight he had just found himself in, and fired a few rounds at the spot Bando had been standing. Bando responded by throwing his human shield into the line of that fire, moving swiftly to the left as he drew the newly dead man's side arm, swinging the gun up, and unloading three rounds directly into his opponent's face. One final man had attempted to flank Bando, and was swiftly taken down as Arakawa let another hail of bullets fly.

As the last man fell, Arakawa realized her gun was once again dry. Fortunately, it did not matter. They had taken all of their opponents down. She couldn't believe they survived. She lay stupidly in her prone position, blinking rapidly as the gunpowder in the air began to sting her eyes. She couldn't believe she had actually killed someone. She silently thanked the adrenaline still pumping through her system. Without it, she was sure the act of having killed someone, would paralyze her.

"On your feet Arakawa!" he commanded, "everybody in this whole fucking building will have heard that. We've got to move! Now!"

She obeyed, standing up and walking quickly towards Bando who handed her two more pistol clips he had yanked from a corpse.

"Hurry and reload the gun," he said, retrieving his rifle, "you're going to need it."

Arakawa began to feel the aches and pains of her injuries starting to flare up. She grimaced in pain as she reloaded her pistol.

"Bando…I don't know if I can do this…"

"Yes you can," he said, taking her arm and throwing it over his shoulder as he helped her to run, "the labs aren't far from the helipad. We'll be there in less than five minutes,"

"God…it hurts…I can't push myself like this…"

"You're going to make it Akane. You're going to make it because you don't have a fucking choice, you hear me?"

"I…"

"You want to see him again? Then earn it!"

That did it. Arakawa blocked out the pain and picked up the pace as best she could. She knew she was risking herself greatly by doing this, but if she was dragging them both down, neither of them would escape.

In moments, they reached the access door which would take them to the helipad. Bando fished around for the keycards and chose one, sliding it through the reader, and opening the door. The sight that greeted them made Arakawa nervous. The helipad was a wide open area with numerous helicopters scattered around a larger one. A number of soldiers milled about the larger helicopter, loading small crates of supplies into it, and attaching cables to various parts of the aircraft.

"I don't like this," she said, "there's no way we'll make it to…"

"We're not going to the supply helicopter. Too much heat."

He pointed at a small helicopter near them, at the rear of the helipad.

"We're taking one of the escorts."

"You can fly a helicopter?"

"Not particularly well. It's been a while since I've piloted one, but I won't be flying it," he pointed at a man in a flight suit, approaching the escort helicopter, "that guy is."

"What if he refuses?"

"Then I hope you've got a strong constitution."

Great.

"Bando," she whispered, "what's the plan when we get out of here?"

"The other half of that compound you mixed up, is at a boat wharf on the shore. I can show you where. We find it, finish the anti-virus, then we need to get it into the Phase 2 rocket before it launches."

"We already busted in here twice," Arakawa said mournfully, "and that was almost impossible in itself. There won't be a third time, even with Ryota helping us."

"Won't be necessary. They're moving Phase 2 onto the mainland."

"They're doing what?"

"There's a reason we've been lucky with the patrols. Ryota will have let slip that we're continuing the sabotage plot, so most of the security patrols are guarding its location. They're planning on moving it to a secondary launch site somewhere inside the city. The idea is to take the needle, and put it in a haystack."

"So how will we find it?"

"It's not the weapon we'll be looking for. Ryota will be traveling with the weapon to the mainland, and I expect he'll set up shop at the hospital they're converting to a mainland HQ. Obviously they won't be taking Phase 2 there, so we'll need to find him again, and come up with some way to give the anti-virus to him. He'll take care of the rest."

"Bando…if he does that…"

"I know. He'll be exposed. I brought that up when we spoke."

"What did he say?" Arakawa asked anxiously.

Bando shrugged, "he said he had a plan."

Arakawa sighed, "I hope he does."

"Akane…you realize that no matter which way this goes. The Institute isn't going to take this defeat lying down."

She knew. She also knew what it was going to mean.

"You need to realize that once we land back in Kamakura, we are at war," Bando said, "they're not going to just let us walk out of the city, even if we stop Red Sky. There's no escaping them anymore now that the perimeter is set up, so our only options may be to destroy the Institute here, or die ourselves. It's going to be martial law on the streets out there, and their forces will be everywhere. Every second we live from now on is a second we steal from them. You ready for that?"

"We're going to miss our flight," Arakawa said, tucking the pistol into her waist.

Bando nodded approvingly at her, turning back to the escort helicopter as its rotors began to spin. Arakawa followed quickly behind Bando, feeling distracted as she thought about what Bando had said. Destroy the Institute? It seemed even more impossible than stopping Red Sky. Thinking about it however, she wondered if it were actually possible after all. There were only two Institute directors remaining, and they were the last ones who had any reason to hunt her and the others. If they could kill Vanith and Westmore, the Institute would be finished, not just in Kamakura, but all over the world. Their control would unwind and break without clear direction. She wasn't sure where the world would go from there, but knew for sure that they couldn't leave all of the power with men like Westmore, and especially Vanith. They would tear the world apart trying to "save" it, or simply own it.

For Arakawa however, there was also a personal stake she had in this other than her own life. If they could break the Institute, Ryota would finally be free of it. He had done so much for her, and she greatly wanted to return the favor. She didn't know how the hell they were going to accomplish that mission, but they had gotten this far, against all of the odds. If there was a way, she knew they would find it.

As they ran, Arakawa could see red streaks through the dark clouds above. It gave the sky the appearance of bleeding from many wounds. The sight was chilling enough as it was; she wasn't sure she was ready to see what it would look like after the virus was completely spread out. She had to believe that they could stop what was happening.

A war, Bando had said. He was right. It had become a war the moment she stumbled across Bando that night during her escape. That was when she had gone from just another victim of an oppressor, to a soldier fighting an enemy. Bando was right about one other thing. She had come too goddamn far to lose now.

Bando and Arakawa ran to opposite ends of the helicopter just as the pilot was about to lift off, drawing their guns and pointing them at the startled pilot who raised his hands in surrender.

"Holy shit!" the pilot exclaimed.

"Doesn't have to get complicated," Bando said quickly, getting into the helicopter, Arakawa following quickly behind, "we're coming with you. Stay with the supply chopper until I say. Don't even think of alerting the others with Institute code words. You know who I am, so don't forget I was a soldier here, and I know those codes too. I hear one syllable of them leave your mouth while you're on that radio, I'll drop you right the fuck out of this helicopter with a bullet in your stomach. That clear?"

He nodded.

"Good, now lift off and stay cool. Do that, and you'll walk away from this."

Arakawa strapped herself in and positioned herself to where she could easily reach the side door. The helicopter hadn't even taken off yet, and she was already feeling sick.

"You alright Akane?" Bando said, noticing her discomfort.

"I hate flying," she said mournfully, "from now on, future escape plans will involve land vehicles, or a pre-flight sedative."

"We won't be in the air long, just hold it together."

"Let's just get the hell out of here."

The helicopter lifted off, and although its movement made her feel sick, she felt enormously relieved to be liberated from that place once again. She hadn't really had a plan for escaping, and honesty didn't expect to. She owed Ryota and Bando her life, again. She knew, however, that just because she had escaped the facility, didn't mean she was free. Kamakura itself was now a prison. There would be nowhere to hide.

Her thoughts drifted to Nana and Mayu as they left the island behind. She hoped they had gotten out of the city in time with their family. Thinking about them made Arakawa think about her own parents. If she survived all of this, one of the first things she was going to do, was find them somehow, and let them know that their daughter was not dead.

In fact, she was more alive now than she had ever been in her entire life.

"You did damn good back there Akane," Bando shouted over the noise of the helicopter, "how are you feeling?"

Sick, in pain from her injuries, and scared.

"Like I could take on the whole goddamn world," she replied, meaning it.

He smiled, giving her a look which seemed to say he understood.

"Me too," was all he said in reply.

In silence, traveling under a bleeding sky, they flew back to Kamakura. As Arakawa saw the city spread out in the distance, she knew that somewhere down there, they would be forced into a conflict with the Institute that would decide all of their fates.

Somewhere down there…they would make their last stand.


	34. Waking from the Dream

The room was quiet when she awoke, almost as if nothing lived in the world around her anymore.

Lucy's eyes slowly opened to the ordinary surroundings of a hospital room, feeling unsure of where she was in the confusion of waking. In those first moments of disorientation, she had forgotten why she was there, or what had happened to put her there in the first place. Knowledge, however, came far too quickly, shattering the illusion that ignorance provided. For the first time in almost a year, she wanted to be Nyuu again. She didn't want to remember anything, and as she lay there alone, she didn't care what the cost would have been for her to simply forget.

She lay still, feeling numb and hollow, staring up at the ceiling. Physically, she felt much better now, though still somewhat sore from the wounds she had sustained while fighting Angel. She wished the pain had been greater, so she could focus her attention somewhere else for a while. In the quiet of her hospital room, with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company, Lucy had never felt so alone in her life.

Well, perhaps that wasn't entirely true. She remembered feeling this way during her years locked away at the Institute, where the only things that kept her going were memories of her brief time with Kouta, simultaneously keeping her alive, and tormenting her ceaselessly. She felt tears well up in her eyes at the thought of him, wanting desperately to see him again. That dream was over however. The rest of them; Nana, and Mayu, would know what she had done to Kouta. She no longer had a place with them, but then again, she never really did. Angel had been right about that.

Lucy reached up, wiping tears from her face, and turned to look out of the window. It appeared that she was many floors up, allowing her a clear view of the sky above. It was not a comforting sight however, as it looked almost bloodstained. The otherwise serene view, was further tainted by the sight of passing helicopters in a tight formation, bristling with weapons. Lucy almost laughed at the sight, knowing that no amount of military strength would save them once they launched their sabotaged weapon. Lucy found it difficult to really care about that, or anything, anymore. Let them launch the missile. What did it matter to her anyway? It's not like she could do anything about it. She supposed she could tell that man, Vanith, but he'd hardly trust the word of a monster like her. Especially considering the weapon's original function was to kill her, and those like her.

It didn't matter. She only needed him for one thing. Vanith had told Lucy that he could help her kill Angel. That was something Lucy could definitely do something about, and it was the other thing keeping her going. Lucy swore that if it were the last thing she ever did, she was going to tear that awful woman's heart out of her chest.

She closed her eyes and tried to dispel her dark thoughts by thinking about the life she'd had at Maple Inn, fully aware of herself, and not buried beneath her childlike alter ego. There had been plenty of hard times and unresolved issues, but Lucy had felt like she was slowly burying them with everyone. Even as difficult as it had sometimes been, there had been even more happiness. It had all just ended so quickly. Too quickly.

Frustration and anguish filled her suddenly. Was this the best she could do with life? Small islands of happiness, in a sea of misery? She lifted her hands to her face, pressing her palms into her eyes, and grabbing handfuls of her hair as she cried silently. Who was she to argue the unfairness of her life? Considering the pain and anguish she had caused in the past, this was exactly what she deserved.

Still, she wanted to see Kouta again. She missed him so much it hurt; the pain of his absence twisting inside of her until it made her want to curl into a ball against the agony of heartache. She was selfish, she knew. Wanting to be with him even after all she had done, and had been responsible for. He may have forgiven her, but it didn't change the fact that she could never deserve him.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Lucy brought her hands away from her face, looking towards the sound. The door gently opened after that, and Lucy wiped quickly at her eyes, attempting to compose herself for whoever the visitor happened to be.

Takashi appeared at the door and stepped halfway into the room, looking towards the bed at Lucy. He smiled reassuringly at her, before stepping all the way inside, closing the door behind him.

"You're up already, that's a good sign, though not entirely unexpected. Vanith had mentioned that Diclonius heal quickly. I'm glad to see he was right about that."

"Hey Takashi," Lucy said drowsily.

Takashi grabbed the arm of a chair that had been sitting by the door, and dragged it over towards Lucy's bed. He was still dressed in his S.A.T uniform, though without the helmet this time. His face had a hardness of a man in his middle years, though it did not detract from his physical appearance. In fact, his hardened features seemed only to enhance it somehow. His short, dark hair was combed straight back, though looked somewhat disheveled, and his eyes were bleary as though he had not slept, which he probably hadn't.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"A little sore," she replied, deciding to offer her physical condition, rather than her emotional one, "but I'm fine."

He stared at her for a long moment before speaking again, "no, you're not, but we don't have to talk about that right now."

"Where's your backup?" Lucy asked, changing the subject, "shouldn't you have some? I am a dangerous creature after all…"

"Do I need backup?" he asked her.

Lucy held his gaze for a while, before looking away. She rested her head back on the pillow and stared up towards the ceiling.

"No," she whispered.

They simply sat together in silence for a while, Lucy returning to her numb state. The silence would only break when Takashi shifted in his seat. Lucy didn't mind the interruptions, realizing she had sorely wanted company.

"You have family here," Lucy said, "how are they?"

"They're fine," he answered, "you're probably not aware of this, but Kamakura is under martial law right now. Announcement went on local news just this morning while they moved in. They're still in the process of establishing themselves in the city, but by tonight they'll be firmly entrenched. Some of the families of Institute personnel are being accounted for, and collectively moved to a fortified position at the edge of the city. They're keeping them out of harms way, but unfortunately they're not being allowed to leave Kamakura."

"Why?"

"Orders from the top. No telling how many people have been unknowingly infected with the vector strain already. Red Sky," he said, motioning out the window to the sky, "is supposed to take care of that, in addition to…" he hesitated.

"In addition to me," Lucy finished for him, "and the other Diclonius in the city."

There was a moment of silence, before he sighed, "I'm sorry Lucy. If there were something I could do, I'd do it. My wife and child could be one of those 'unknowingly infected' people. Maybe even me."

"Takashi…there's something you need to know about Red Sky."

Lucy turned back towards him, "Kakuzawa tampered with it a few days ago. The virus up there? It's not going to kill us. It's going to infect you. You, and everyone it rains down upon when they activate it."

Takashi only stared at her wordlessly for a moment, "you're kidding…"

"I'm sorry Takashi, but it's the truth."

"How do you know it's been tampered with?"

"Because I was there. I spoke to Kakuzawa before I killed him. He kept talking about shifting the balance of power back in the direction of the Diclonius, and spoke as if he had a way to do that. I watched him put something into the rocket. At the time, I wasn't sure what it was, and I didn't care. After finding my friends again, they told me that a woman called Akane Arakawa had been the one to create the compound that Kakuzawa replaced the original virus with. They told me what it would do. I believe them."

Takashi leaned back in his chair, "shit…"

"So you believe me?"

"Of course I believe you, I just…" he closed his eyes and sighed, "…shit. I'm not sure which would have been worse. The weapon working properly, or this."

She suddenly felt irrationally angry, "would it really be so bad if the virus up there fell? If it happened and suddenly you were faced with the prospect with having a Diclonius child? Maybe you'd like it the other way. The way in which I died instead. Better that than the alternative right?"

"Lucy that's not…"

"Easier to hang your head and say 'I'm sorry', and just let all the monsters die, right?"

She wanted to keep lashing out, but ruthlessly suppressed the urge. She knew she was just jumping at a chance to take her anguish out on someone, and Takashi was a convenient target. He had saved her life. She owed him better than that.

She looked away from him, "I'm sorry…I didn't mean that…"

"I know," he said, "it's alright. I understand."

She felt embarrassed at suggesting she would have been the only one at risk if the virus had not been tampered with. Takashi's worries about his family and himself were quite legitimate fears.

He sighed, "well, it does complicate things."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, think about it. This city is completely locked down, no one is getting in, and more importantly, no one is getting out. When that weapon goes off, and it does what you're saying it's going to do, we're going to have a new immediate problem."

"Which is?"

"Brass is going to want to make sure the weapon worked before lifting the lockdown. Those are the post deployment orders. First they're going to find out it didn't work, and then they're going to find out what it actually did. Put yourself in the government's position, when they find out that they've got over one-hundred and fifty thousand walking carriers of the virus on their hands. What do you think happens next?"

Cold dread gripped Lucy's heart, already knowing what Takashi was suggesting. Seeing the dread in Lucy's eyes, Takashi slowly nodded his head.

"I haven't heard anything yet about a 'Plan B', but if I were high military, and it were my call, I'd probably be considering the option of completely wiping Kamakura off the map with a nuclear strike, and hoping nothing survives to spread the vector strain elsewhere. That's the only route I can foresee the military taking, so what I haven't worked out yet, is how they would even get their hands on a nuclear weapon. Japanese policy on nuclear energy expressly forbids weaponizing it."

Lucy's heart quickened as Takashi had spoken the words. The prospect of being destroyed with a nuclear weapon was frightening enough, but knowing everyone she had ever loved would die as well made her feel sick with anxiety. She knew if it came down to that, she would find Kouta and the others somehow, and she would goddamn tear a bloody swath through JSDF and the Institute if she had to, so they would at least have a chance to survive.

"What happens if Red Sky is stopped?" Lucy asked, "there's a contingency plan for that, isn't there?"

"Well, in the event that the weapon fails, or isn't activated in the forty-eight hour time window, then the Institute will simply have to do things the hard way. I imagine there will be field clinics, mandatory examinations to see who is, or isn't infected. And, of course, we keep hunting…well…the 'target Diclonius'."

"Meaning myself, Nana, and Angel?"

"Who's that third one?"

"Sorry, I suppose you'd know her better as Number 5."

"Ah," he said, breathing a sigh, "that's who Vanith was talking about," he paused, "she's the one who put you in here."

"She's going to wish she'd killed me back there," Lucy said darkly, "Erich wants me to kill her. I'm fine with that. I don't care if it helps the Institute, she's going to suffer for the pain she brought down on my family."

Takashi looked away from her for a long moment, saying nothing. Lucy stared back at the ceiling as she clenched her fists, rage and despair welling up inside of her. For what seemed like the millionth time, she cursed herself for ever setting Angel free, and allowing her to be around Kouta and the others. She felt responsible not only for their pain, but for the circumstances which resulted in the quarantine. Would it have still happened if she had never gone back to the island facility? Were all the people of Kamakura in danger because of her careless decisions?

"…all my fault," Lucy whispered, closing her eyes.

"What's that?" Takashi asked.

"This is all my fault," she said again, "all of this…it's all my fault…"

"Lucy…"

"…everyone who gets close to me gets hurt, either by me, or because of my mistakes. I'm a disease…"

The last words left her lips vehemently as tears of frustration welled up in her eyes, "I let Angel out of there, and just look what happened. I've brought nothing but misery into their lives. I cut up Nana like a butcher, I…" she swallowed, and took a shuddering breath, "the only man I've ever loved…I killed his family. Right in front of him. Years ago. We'd kept it a secret from the rest of our family…but now they know what I've done to him."

She wiped her eyes, "can't go back…can never go back…"

She looked over towards Takashi who watched her with a neutral gaze, "you said that monsters don't have tears," she said, "what does that make me then Takashi? What kind of creature can do those things, and still cry?"

"A human being," he said quickly, and easily. His response froze her for a moment, her facial expression locked in misery.

"I'm not human," she said.

"I suppose that depends on how you define 'human'. I've known people with less humanity in them than I see in you."

"The things I've done…"

"Don't matter," he said, cutting across her, "they don't change what's true about you, no matter how horrible. I'm not going to tell you the things you're responsible for, are ok, because they're not. However, it's clear to me that you feel remorse and regret. Nobody willingly does anything that they know unequivocally they'll regret. They've got to be pushed to it somehow, and knowing what's become of so many Diclonius, I can imagine the sort of things that pushed you."

"But…"

"You want to atone for your past? You still want that? You want to protect the people you love?"

"Always," she whispered.

"That's why you're not a monster. In fact, I would say you're a better, and stronger person than a great many others. Considering what you've been responsible for, I think most people would expect you to give up trying to make things right. Millions of people out there that would just give up and say there is no way they could ever put a past like that, to rights. You can't imagine how many people wouldn't even have the courage to try. Someone who cares enough to keep trying, sure as hell doesn't sound like a monster to me."

She wanted to argue with him, and continue to mire in self-loathing. She even opened her mouth a few times to do exactly that, but every retort she came up with sounded silly, if not outright pathetic. She opted to simply remain silent.

"Tell me," he said, "why is it important for you to try?"

He said the words as if he already knew what she was going to say, which he probably did. He just wanted her to say it out loud, so she could hear herself say it.

"Because I love him," she said in a whisper, "and my family means so much to me. I miss them…I…" she paused, taking a deep breath, "…I wish I could do this over again. All of it."

She couldn't go on anymore. Lucy cast her eyes back to the window, and the reddening sky. The sight nearly plunged her back into the pit of self-loathing that Takashi was trying to drag her out of, kicking and screaming.

"This man," came Takashi's voice after a time, "he loves you back."

It had been a statement rather than a question. Lucy did not refute it, though a part of her wanted to. She had been trying to convince herself that she had successfully hurt Kouta enough last night with her words to break their connection. Kouta had been struggling to get back to her that awful night. Lucy's words hadn't even phased him, or given him any sort of pause. She had been a fool to think even for a second that it would have worked.

"Sounds to me," Takashi went on, "that whatever you did, he was able to love you more than he wanted to hate you. Why do you suppose that was possible?"

"He forgave me," Lucy said, still looking out the window, "he loved me that much…"

"When are you going to forgive yourself?"

She did not answer him right away, being unable to keep Kouta's screams out of her mind in that moment. She couldn't fathom why it was so much harder for her to forgive herself, than it was for him to forgive her, even though he was the one who had been the most devastated by her actions. If he was able to do it, why couldn't she?

"I don't know," she answered truthfully, "I don't know if I ever will. I don't have the right to forgiveness…"

"Yes you do. He gave you that right when he forgave you. Do you think he would hold your past against you?"

"He wouldn't," she said, putting emphasis on the word "he".

"What else matters?"

"The others," she said, "they have no reason to forgive me. Not for something like that."

"Even if that's true," he said, "it doesn't really answer my question. What else matters?"

"That DOES matter," Lucy said, turning back to Takashi, "why wouldn't it?"

"Alright, then tell me why it does matter."

"Because…" she thought of Yuka, who had the legitimate right to be in Kouta's life. Yuka had never given him pain the way Lucy had. Yuka had no dark secrets that would change her life if they were revealed. As much as it hurt her to think about it, Lucy was glad that Kouta would at least have Yuka. She would make things easier on him.

"…because I never had the right to be in his life. The rest of them will know now that I didn't have that right, and they'll know why. How could I face them? They deserve Kouta. I don't."

Lucy saw Takashi start at the mention of Kouta's name, but quickly recovered. There was no way Takashi could have recognized his name, as he'd never met Kouta before, and she had never mentioned it to him.

"Don't you think that's up to him?" he asked her.

"What would his family think of him then? If he chose me in the face of their objections? What if he lost them because of me? I've been responsible for enough pain already. I can't do that to him. I won't."

"Have you ever considered that maybe it's them that don't belong, if that's how they'd react to him choosing you? What legitimizes their presence in his life over yours, if he wants you in that life?"

"I…"

"Do you know if he still wants you? Do you know at least that?"

"_Lucy…dammit Yuka, let go of me!"_

"He…" she began, suddenly remembering other things he had been shouting at her that she had simply tuned out at the time.

"_Lucy! Remember what I told you the day you came home! I'm not looking back! I won't let you go Lucy, don't listen to her!"_

Had he been talking about Angel? Or Yuka? In either case, she knew what it meant.

"He does," she said, almost inaudibly.

"What else could be more important than that?" Takashi asked.

She couldn't reply. All of her instincts were telling her to argue his point, but she just couldn't, and she didn't really want to anymore. She missed Kouta so badly it was physically painful. After a moment of silence, she finally drew breath to utter a single word in reply.

"Nothing…"

When it came down to it, regardless of how much she cared about the others, the most important thing to her was that Kouta loved her. If that was all she could ever have in this life, it would be enough. She realized that she could let everything, and everyone else go. As long as Kouta would stay with her, she could live with that. She knew he felt the same way. The only reason she had questioned it was because she had been so deeply mired in self-hatred. Let them call her selfish for it.

Lucy looked back at Takashi, who offered her a warm smile. She slowly returned it, wiping at her eyes.

"Thank you Takashi, for talking with me."

He reached up, and squeezed her shoulder companionably, "I figured you could use a friend right about now."

Friend. She hoped he meant that, because if they both survived, she didn't want him to disappear from her life again. Takashi leaned forward slightly, a serious expression forming on his face.

"I am your friend Lucy. You do know that don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Means I'm on your side. I don't know what you all were planning to do about Red Sky, or that psychotic Diclonius woman, but whatever it is, I want you to know I'm in."

"Takashi, I can't ask you to help me…"

"Didn't recall hearing you ask. If memory serves, I believe I was the one offering to help."

"But your family…you'll be in danger…"

"Everyone in this city is in danger simply by being here, which includes my family, not just me. Don't think you're the only one around here who's fighting for something."

She felt embarrassed, realizing that she had been so centered on her own woes and concerns, that she had forgotten that Takashi might be just as worried about what might happen to his own family.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking…"

He held up his hand, stopping her, "just tell me what we need to do."

She sighed, "I honestly don't really know. Can't you convince a higher authority that the virus up there is not what they think it is?"

"I could tell my immediate superiors. One is a guy named Sergeant Rin, but most people just call him Ghost…"

"No!" Lucy snapped, "not him…that bastard won't help us."

"Hm…bastard eh? Sounds pretty much like the stories I've heard about him from the soldiers over the past couple of days. I guess what they say is true."

"You don't know the half of it. Honestly, I think that the half of it is really all I know, but it's enough."

"Alright, well I can go over his head to the commander of the Institute S.A.T forces. Man called Ryota. Doesn't have a family name that anyone knows, which I always found strange. I served under him before I was first discharged from S.A.T. From what I know about Ryota, I'd say he's probably our best bet. Just keep in mind that even he has superiors, and if they push him to go ahead with the launch, whether they believe what we say or not, he'll have to, or they'll bust him down and replace him with someone that will. Do we have a plan B in that event?"

"Yeah," Lucy said, "I find that missile somehow, and tear the goddamn thing apart, piece by piece."

"You can bet 'Plan B' won't be easy, if it comes to that. You'll be up against some terrible odds."

"Don't you mean 'we'?" she said, with a small smile.

"Right, of course. Let's just…think a little bit more about 'Plan B', could we? I'm not sure I really like the whole 'blaze of glory' tactic. I'm a practical man, and those plans typically end quickly, and accomplish little."

"Alright," she said, beginning to push the blankets off of her. The rush of cold made her shiver, and she realized she was dressed only in a hospital gown. As she sat up, Takashi stood and extended his arm, intending to help her stand.

"Look…Lucy. There's something you should know. I wanted to wait until we were done talking before I told you this…"

Uneasiness crept up in Lucy as she sat still, "what is it?"

"Your man…you said his name was Kouta, right?"

"…yes…I did."

Takashi turned around, looking at the door, before looking back at Lucy.

"Well, first things first, some people were admitted to this hospital while you were asleep. They were dragged here in pretty bad shape by a teenage, Diclonius girl…"

"What!" Lucy exclaimed, flinging the last of the blankets off of her legs and hopping on the floor. The sudden movement made her feel woozy, and she briefly lost her balance.

"Whoa, take it easy Lucy!"

She couldn't believe it. Nana had come here? Was she still here? If she was, why couldn't Lucy sense her? It occurred to her that she should be asking these questions out loud.

"Like I said," Takashi continued, "two patients were dragged in here. One of them was one of our guys, whom I'm told, is a defector. The other was a female who is about the Diclonius girl's age. Gunshot wounds on both of them."

"Are they alright?" Lucy asked quickly, "the other girl, is she ok?"

Takashi looked knowingly at her, probably realizing now that these people were the family she had been telling him about.

"The girl's fine. Bullets passed completely through her so nothing to dig out. The Institute was already dug in by the time they arrived, so considering who they were, both of them were brought to the Institute medical wing here which has similar equipment to the ones they have back at the facility. Normally, she might have been discharged in two weeks to a month. At the rate she's going now with the care she received, she might be ok by tomorrow, or the day after."

"What about the soldier? Daisuke?"

"He wasn't so lucky. He's actually still in surgery. As I understand it, a supply helicopter landed here some hours ago, carrying a massive amount of supplies from the island facility's cybernetics clinic. The guy's going to be part machine when he comes out of there…assuming he survives the operation. He was hurt really bad. He flatlined twice in the night, and had to be resuscitated."

"Oh God…" as glad as she was to know they were trying to save him, something about it seemed odd, "wait…why are they bothering to save him? He's a defector."

"The Diclonius girl, made a deal with the Institute officials here."

An ember of dread settled in Lucy's heart, "what kind of deal?"

"She said if they would save Daisuke, that she would come quietly. They agreed, so she let them take her in."

"It doesn't make sense," Lucy said, "if she's here…why can't I sense her?"

"They've got a vector nullifier on her. I was against it, but was overruled. The only reason you're not wearing one right now, is because Vanith gave specific orders not to make you. Anyway, the girl agreed to wear the device under the condition that she could be allowed to view the operation from an adjacent room, and generally be allowed to stay with him. She's there now…where I left her."

His last words made her look upon him in shock, "you…"

"I'm looking out for her. Just like I'm looking out for you. I had a feeling that both of your presences here was more than coincidence. I'm just trying to keep a lid on things as best I can. So far, what we've got is an uneasy truce. I think the Institute people realize that if they can keep you and…"

"Nana," said Lucy, answering his unspoken question.

He nodded, continuing "…Nana on their side, then their only real problem is Number 5. It'll save everyone a lot of time, money, and frankly, a lot of pain if this situation can be resolved without having to tear the city apart trying to recapture all of you, detonate the virus in the sky, or worse. Kind of ridiculous that it's taken this long for the Institute to realize that it would have been easier to just play ball, instead of pick fights."

"You mentioned Kouta…"

"Right, I did," he waited until she was looking into his face, "he's here too. I cleared him personally when I got the call that there were civilians asking about patients we're interested in."

Lucy felt like her heart was going to stop. Kouta? Here?

"You mean…he's here right now?" she said stupidly.

"That's right. He's downstairs on the second floor in a recovery room with the female patient. Believe her name is Mayu. He's with another women, didn't get her name."

"Her name is Yuka," she said, sadness creeping into her voice, "she's his cousin."

So close. He was so close. She could go to him right now if she wanted to. Takashi seemed to read her thoughts, stepping back and motioning to a closet.

"I've got some proper clothes for you in there. The clothes you came in here with, were drenched, bloodstained, and ripped to pieces, so I threw those out. One of the nurses donated them from her locker. She thinks you're about her size. When you get dressed, if you want," he paused before continuing, "if you're ready…I can take you to see him."

She paused with her hand on the closet door, considering what Takashi had said. Was she ready to see him? She knew she wanted to very much, but wasn't sure now was the time. Kouta had other things on his plate right now, such as Mayu's hospitalization, and what was sure to be his worry over Nana's fate. It was just too soon, for him, and for her. For now, it was enough that she knew where he was.

She opened the closet door, seeing the clothes hanging there. There were a pair of stonewashed black jeans folded next to her boots, which were underneath a short sleeved shirt with variegated autumnal color patterns that resembled dead leaves. Next to that, was a large, dark, button up coat which resembled her old one. It looked like it would reach down just below her hips. She couldn't help but smile at them, and wondered silently if there really was a nurse that had "donated" clothes.

"These are nice," Lucy said, looking sideways at Takashi, "I'll have to thank the nurse."

"Her shift would be over by now," he said, scratching at the back of his head, "but I'll let her know you said so. I'm glad the clothes suit you."

She turned away, hiding her smile. She never would have guessed he might have been self conscious about whether or not she liked the clothes he picked out. She recalled Kouta being similarly flustered when he had gone out with her to buy new clothes, and she asked his opinion on two outfits. She hadn't really considered it a big deal, but when she watched Kouta mull over it, she swore she had seen him start to sweat. Kouta had chalked it up to a "guy thing", and Lucy hadn't been sure what that had to do with anything. She felt warm at the recollection of the memory, but quickly felt cold bitterness replace it, knowing that those days were almost certainly over.

When Takashi turned around, Lucy shed her hospital gown, and began dressing quickly, almost forgetting her undergarments in her rush to clothe herself against the sudden chill in the air. When she had finally finished dressing, she closed the closet door to signal Takashi that it was safe to turn around.

"Takashi," she said once he did, "listen…"

"I know," he said simply, "so where in the city do you want to go?"

Lucy looked at him, cocking her head in confusion, "aren't I a prisoner here? I wasn't aware I would be allowed to move around. Especially considering the military in the streets."

"As I mentioned, Vanith was specific about not restraining you. He told me, and the rest of the soldiers who brought you in, that he believes it highly unlikely you will disappear…"

"He's right," she said, clenching her fists, "he knows I won't. He said he would help me kill Angel. He knows I'm not going anywhere…"

Takashi nodded, "the only condition placed on your freedom, is that you have an Institute escort with you at all times. Wouldn't want JSDF to complicate things. They have strict orders to engage any Diclonius target they see that is not accompanied by Institute personnel."

"I understand," that could be convenient. The only one out there that would run into that issue, would be Angel. Though Lucy didn't like it, Nana was probably safest where she was at the moment, and Lucy was sure that Angel would cause enough of a mess and panic to make her presence known very easily. Maybe Erich had a secret weapon or plan that would make Angel's death come more easily, and maybe he didn't. Lucy knew that either way, if she saw Angel before she saw Erich, Lucy was going after her regardless. Ripping her apart piece by piece would go a long way towards making Lucy feel a little better.

"So," Takashi said, interrupting her dark thoughts, "do you have somewhere you'd like to go?"

"Home," she said automatically. She had said the word without a specific place in mind. She had really just been thinking about a person; Kouta. Wherever he was, that was where home existed for her.

"Lucy, there's nothing there anymore," Takashi said, interpreting her statement literally, "Maple Inn was completely destroyed."

Maple Inn, the only real sanctuary she had ever known. She knew it wasn't the building that was important, but rather, the people who had made that place so special. Still, she felt compelled to visit its ruin. She wasn't sure if it was so she could think, or be reminded of what Angel had done to them so that she could be filled with enough rage to carry her through the pain that was sure to come before she ground Angel into dust. The mere thought of her, the sound of her name, the memory of her eyes, the cadence of her cold, raspy voice. All of those things filled Lucy with black, poisonous hatred.

"Lucy," Takashi said, stepping towards her and squeezing her shoulder to get her attention, "I'm so very sorry. I remember how important it had been for you to return home. I didn't know what you were looking for back then, but it was important enough that you survived odds that should have brought you down. It was important enough that a month later, you were still torturing yourself over many of the things you're torturing yourself over now."

The feelings of hatred gave way to sorrow once again, "I just want to see it one last time. All my dreams came true in that house."

And they had ended there as well.

"Alright Lucy," he said quietly, "I'll take you there, as your escort."

She nodded, wrapping the coat around herself, then reaching back to pull her hair loose. As she reached up, one of her hands brushed a horn.

"Takashi," she said, "my horns…"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Takashi said, "as I said, so long as I'm with you, JSDF and the other Institute soldiers will let you walk. Considering the military presence on the street, I don't think anyone walking around is going to notice you over them, and wouldn't know what they were looking at even if they were. I don't think the Institute is bothering with too much 'cover up', at least not where the actual Diclonii are concerned. The cover story is focusing more on explaining the reason for the lockdown, but it does have traces of the truth in it."

"Such as?"

"They're telling the public that a deadly viral infection has been making its way around Kamakura, and the lockdown is the governments tactic to keep it under control, isolating the virus by locating those infected. People are afraid, but things have been calm so far since they're being told there is treatment. Some won't buy it of course, but most of the people probably will, either because they want to believe it, or just don't want to challenge heavily armed soldiers."

"What have they said about the 'virus'," she said, spitting the word out contemptuously, disliking her birthright being referred to as a malignancy.

"They weren't specific in their public address, except to say that it was highly contagious, and lethal if not treated in time. They offered up a generic list of possible symptoms that actually can be found in more common, non-lethal ailments. The idea is that there will be a sizable group, if not the majority, who will have been feeling ill due to the recent weather, and discover they're exhibiting one, or more of the symptoms. Some will go voluntarily to the field medical centers. A trickle at first, but when people see them going, some others will go too. Once that trickle turns into a stream, most other people will stop questioning whether or not the symptoms are bogus. The threat will be legitimized by the people themselves. Institute officials expect the people to fall in line of their own accord. The soldiers out there are expected to be little more than glorified police."

Revulsion swept through Lucy at the Institute's cold, manipulative policy to play upon people's fears.

Takashi continued, "they're blaming this on North Korean spies, saying that they infiltrated the Kamakura Medical Research and Development Institute, looking for biological weapon research to smuggle back to North Korea. Most people already know about the shooting that happened over at Kamakura High. The Institute used that in their story, saying that the spies were tracked there, and taken down in a firefight. They're suggesting that the virus was loosed into the air during the fight, and are now trying to prevent carriers from unknowingly infecting others. They've been generally nonspecific as to how that would happen, but frightened people don't typically ask those kinds of questions. All they want to know is who is going to help them."

"And when it's over? When those people ask why there were 'biological weapons' there to steal in the first place?"

"I think there's a 'we'll cross that bridge when we get to it' mentality towards that subject. More than likely they'll find some government figure to heap responsibility on, crucify that person publicly, apologize profusely to the people, and move on to the next thing."

So it would all disappear when it was over. Lucy was disgusted and angered by that. The Institute deserved to be exposed for the things it had been responsible for. She sure as hell did not intend to simply be their dirty little secret, to be covered up silently.

"So that's the situation right now," he finished.

"And they haven't said anything about the Diclonius?"

"No, they haven't, though they have released photos of 'suspects' connected to the 'spies'. One of them is the woman you were talking about, Akane. Along with another man, former S.A.T. Third photo is your woman, Angel. All of them are considered extremely dangerous, and not to be approached."

That much was certainly true about Angel. If there was currently a search in progress for the other two, it meant that Bando had not been captured, and Akane must have escaped the Institute somehow. She hoped that Akane and Bando could continue to elude capture. As she thought about it, Lucy realized that she had a second reason to go back to Maple Inn's ruin. If those two had connections to Mayu and Nana, it was possible that they could go back there looking for them. Perhaps they did not know yet that the house was destroyed.

"Well," Lucy said, "I think I'm ready to go."

"Alright…"

"But, I…" she looked away, remembering why she had chosen to leave the hospital in the first place.

"Don't worry, we can leave through a fire exit if you don't want to run into him just yet," Takashi said, reading her thoughts. She sighed.

"What if you're wrong?" Lucy said, "and we run into trouble out there? What if the soldiers, or other Institute men, decide they don't really want a Diclonius walking the street, escort or not?"

"We'll deal with that if it happens, but Lucy? Do me a favor."

"Anything, what is it?"

"Promise me you'll hold off on killing the men unless it's absolutely necessary? Try to remember, most of these men are just doing their job, and probably have families to protect just as I do. That said, it's possible we may run into a situation in the future where we won't have a choice but to resort to lethal force, but I just don't want for that to be the first option you consider if anything goes wrong out there. Can I have your word on that Lucy?"

Lucy's automatic instinct was to argue against showing any mercy to the Institute, considering all they had been responsible for. Even Kouta had told her not to hold back. Holding back had indirectly furthered the suffering of others when she had failed to kill Ghost. It would have been so easy, just a flicker of the mind to change a blunt strike, into a killing blow. How many of the other soldiers were like-minded with that monster?

As she opened her mouth to argue the point, she remembered Daisuke, who had risked his life for Nana, and was now fighting for that life in surgery. All because he had dared stand up to Angel, in defense of the people she loved. She thought of the man Nana had told her about, Bando. A former Institute soldier who had been keeping both her, and Mayu safe, and had chosen to take on impossible odds for their sake. He had been a man who held a grudge against Lucy for pain she had caused him, and as far as she knew, he still did. She felt shame at not being able to put a face to the name. She hoped she would get a chance to meet, and thank him, but could never ask for forgiveness any more than she could have asked it of Nana. Or Kouta…

Finally, there was Takashi. He had lied for her, giving her the time with Kouta she had longed for. Then he had saved her last night from being executed on the spot, and was prepared to put himself at awful risk for her sake. She knew of course that it wasn't just for her, but somehow she just knew that even if his family were not at risk, he would have offered to help her anyway.

She swallowed her argument, realizing that it would have been hypocrisy to claim the Institute soldiers deserved no mercy, simply by being Institute men. She of all people understood what it was like to be on the receiving end of such prejudice.

"Okay Takashi," she said, "you have my word, with one exception."

"Name it."

"If I see Ghost, he's dead. Him, and everyone I have to go through to get to him. He's done terrible things to people I care about, and he's going to answer for that. Period."

"Fair enough," Takashi said, "from what I've heard about the guy, I don't really see the men crossing you for him, if their lives depend on it. Perhaps you won't have to go through as many as you think."

Takashi reached for the door handle, opening it, and stepping through. He stopped just beyond the door to turn towards Lucy, beckoning her outside. As he'd opened the door, sounds of life rushed in, filling the previous silence. The din was loud enough in the hall that she couldn't believe she hadn't heard it from her room. There was a cacophony of gruff voices relaying orders incomprehensible to her, and a constant background of cold, digitally filtered voices emanating from many radios. Behind that were the ever present voices of medical staff, and ringing phones. Everything had a sense of urgency as she watched people scurry back and forth in front of the doorway to her room.

Stepping outside, she noticed two S.A.T soldiers standing at either side of her door. They eyed her with carefully neutral expressions, which would occasionally slip from neutral, to a contemptuous distrust. One of them flicked his gaze to Takashi as if to question the sensibility of allowing Lucy to walk around without chains, or a vector nullifier. Neither actually voiced any such objections, but it was obvious to Lucy that they wanted to. Takashi motioned to one of them.

"Any word from Vanith?" he asked, while he reached a hand to his own radio. When it came away from the device, it sparked to life as communication from other soldiers came through it. He must have turned it off so they would not be disturbed as they spoke.

"No sir," came the soldier's reply, "would have rapped on the door if anything came through."

"Alright, I want you to take over for now, keep an eye on Number 7," Takashi said, eyeing Lucy apologetically, "you're not to allow anyone to take her from here who isn't Ryota, or one of the directors. Anyone who questions your authority, get them to radio me. All the men in this building, including the research personnel, should know now that I'm the ranking authority in the absence of Sergeant Rin."

"Big goddamn 10-4 on that," said the other soldier, looking towards his partner, "if Ryota's got any damn brains, he'll keep it that way. Absence or not."

"If," Takashi continued, cutting the other man off, "Sergeant Rin should arrive on site, you will observe the chain of command and defer to him. That said, if he, or Westmore should happen to show up, radio me on a secure line, and be discreet about it."

"Understood sir."

As Lucy looked around the room, she could see more and more people taking notice of her. She told herself it was because she stood next to Takashi, who was the officer in charge at the moment. It was a fruitless endeavor, as she could practically feel the unease, primarily from the military personnel. From everyone else, it was the curiosity of seeing a strange, exotic creature in their midst. She was sure they had all been given the short version of what she and Nana were. If they'd had the full story, she knew they would be just as anxious as the soldiers around her. The stares were beginning to fray her own nerves, and she wanted to leave.

"Takashi…could we…"

"Of course."

He motioned for her to start walking, which she was glad to do. As she walked past one of her door guards, she caught that distrustful look once again. The soldier then spoke quickly in a low voice, just loud enough to be heard over the general din.

"You watch yourself Takashi. I don't think Vanith knows what he's doing. Letting that Diclonius walk around free…"

Lucy had had enough, her patience having worn thin due to the watching eyes. She turned to the soldier, "I'm right here. You don't have to talk about me like I'm not."

"Lucy…" Takashi warned.

"Takashi has nothing to fear from me," she said vehemently, "and other than the fact that I'd love to knock your teeth out right now, you don't have anything to fear from me either. By the way, my NAME…is Lucy. I know you know it. Use it."

She stormed off with Takashi in tow, reaching the stairwell door in no time. She shoved the door open roughly, and walked up to the handrail. Slowing her pace, she placed her hands upon it, leaning over slightly to look down, and let out a long breath. Being in the unoccupied stairwell, felt much better. Lucy let out another calming breath as she heard Takashi behind her, entering the room. At the sound of chuckling, she whirled around, prepared to let him have it next.

"I think you'd have shocked him less if you threw him across the room with your vectors."

"Why?" she said, hot anger in her voice, "because he found out I can speak? Is he goddamn surprised I didn't just grunt and growl like a jungle animal?"

"Well, no offense intended Lucy, but in a way, yes."

Her eyes widened with indignation, "You have GOT to be…"

"Just listen," he said, raising a hand, "all any of them know about the Diclonius is what they've been told. When the scientists spoke of you, it wasn't with names, or anything that might cause a person to make a connection between you, and something human. You weren't 'Lucy' or 'Nana' to us. You were 'the Diclonius target', or 'Number 7'. Most of us had never even been in the same room with a Diclonius, until recently."

Takashi walked over next to Lucy, leaning against the guardrail, and turning down the volume on his chattering radio.

"They created a faceless enemy," Takashi continued, "they told us what you were capable of, and the threat you might pose. We weren't with you everyday to see that you weren't so different from us. You understand what I'm saying? They completely dehumanized you in our eyes. So yes, it can be a bit of a shock when the reality check of talking to you shatters the illusion that you are a hostile, violent creature without a shred of humanity."

Lucy felt the anger drain out of her as Takashi spoke, though she had to admit, it had less to do with the truth of his words, and more that she wasn't being stared at like a zoo animal. Nonetheless, she knew he was right. She swore to herself, once again, that she wouldn't do the very things she despised the Institute for doing to her. She had just been angry at them for so long that it was difficult to let go of that anger. Few things were more difficult than seeing things from an enemy's point of view.

"Once upon a time," Takashi said, "I was no different from the rest."

"Now that," Lucy said, "I just don't believe."

They began walking down the stairs, Takashi keeping a step behind Lucy.

"But it's true," he said, "I…"

"Not what I meant," Lucy replied, cutting across him, "maybe you all saw the same things, but you're different from them. That night we met, even though you knew I wouldn't kill you, you didn't tell them I escaped. You told them I was dead. There's a big difference there Takashi. I find it hard to believe that just anyone would have done that."

There was a brief silence as they continued to walk down the stairs, occasionally passing by people who had also gone into the stairwell for a reprieve from the stressful presence of the military. When they were relatively alone again, Takashi spoke.

"Maybe they wouldn't have," he said in a distracted tone, "but I know better than most what a second chance can do for a person who never thought they'd have one. I just knew in that moment, that you wouldn't waste it."

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she stopped to look at Takashi, "how could you have been so sure of that?" she said.

"Because I've been there," he said in that faraway tone, "I've been where you were. Once upon a time, I was like you. Someone without hope, who needed a second chance. Like you, it changed everything."

He walked to the exit door, pushing it open and stepping through to hold it for Lucy. Cold, winter air swept into the stairwell, making Lucy shiver and wrap her coat around herself.

"One day," he said, "I'll tell you about it, and how I met my wife, Ayame."

Lucy smiled softly, "I'd love to hear it."

"Maybe you can tell me about Kouta. I have to admit, I'm more than a little curious about the guy who won a heart like yours. He must be a hell of a guy."

Her smile faltered, the mention of Kouta's name somewhat bittersweet. Soon, she promised herself. She would face him soon.

She stepped out of the door, past Takashi, and into the cold. The surrounding parking areas were still largely wet with rainwater from the previous night. Those places where it had created small puddles, were now frozen over. Wind came in a gust, scattering leaves and carrying moisture in the air from water that fell in more of a mist than an actual rain. The air sliced through her, but she embraced the feeling. It was blissfully distracting, and she welcomed it.

"Storm's never going to end," Takashi said, distractedly.

"I don't mind so much," Lucy said, "it was raining the day I knew for sure I was in love with Kouta. Rain always makes me think about that day."

Takashi looked at her, a smile growing on his face, "is that so?"

As they left the hospital to visit a place Lucy knew would evoke a horrible memory, she began to talk about happier ones. She promised herself that in addition to facing Kouta again, she would hold on to her happy memories, no matter what happened. They had carried her through dark times in the past, and they would have to carry her through these present ones.

She promised herself she would never let sorrow make her for_get _what she was fighting for.


	35. Schism

"So let me get this straight," said Westmore, staring into Ghost's carefully neutral face.

Westmore's smug, disdainful facial expression made Ghost want to throw a fist into it. He dared not however, being in the presence of Ryota, in addition to a roomful of other soldiers, more than half of which were the American reinforcements. Westmore had been given a succinct report of Bando and Arakawa's escape, by Ryota himself, before Ghost had arrived at the director's office.

Westmore was now attempting to get the story straight from the man who should have been awake to deal with Bando's intrusion; Ghost himself. Westmore meticulously smoothed out imaginary wrinkles on his business suit, a gesture which irritated Ghost who felt he was only doing it to draw attention to the immaculacy of his appearance. Even his facial hair seemed carefully managed, though the aim of it was to give him the illusion of a rugged aesthetic, which clashed with the boyish appearance of his short, sandy blonde hair. It made Ghost think of an aging surfer who liked to dress up in business suits.

"One of your defectors," Westmore continued, "whom this Institute has been hunting for over a year, shows up here, turns himself in, places himself entirely at your mercy, and not only do you lose him, but he actually manages to break back in here, and escape with ANOTHER of your prisoners? Do I have it right so far?"

Ghost remained silent, not wanting to play the asshole's game.

"Answer him Ghost," Ryota said, staring coldly in his direction, without actually looking at him. Ghost couldn't believe it, Ryota was actually backing Westmore up? And in front of the men no less. The humiliation was almost too much to bear. Ghost swore to himself that Bando would suffer for this. All of this was his fault.

"Yes, sir," Ghost said, the words torn from him through grit teeth, "Bando managed to slip his bonds on the way to his execution. I still don't know how he…"

"That's another thing," Westmore said, cutting him off, "what the hell were you doing just dragging someone off to be shot? What kind of operation was Kakuzawa running here? When the request came in for some of my men to act as your backup, I didn't realize they were being put towards that purpose."

Ghost flicked a gaze to Ryota, who said nothing. Was he waiting for Ghost to tell Westmore that he was acting under Ryota's orders? Or was Ryota giving him the chance to deny that he gave the order? As wounded as Ghost was feeling over what he perceived to be Ryota's refusal to back him up, he still felt compelled to protect Ryota from this foreigner. That desire was made all the more powerful at knowing Westmore's men now outnumbered Ryota's, two-to-one.

"The official judgment on Bando Kimura," Ghost replied, "during Director Kakuzawa's administration, was that he was to be shot on sight. The only reason I didn't execute him right when he showed up was because I believed he had information we could use. I thought to use a measure of restraint in dealing with him. When I realized he had nothing to give us, I decided to carry out the original directive."

"This would be when he slipped his bonds, knocked you senseless, and killed three of my people?"

"Yes…sir," Ghost said, once again speaking through his teeth.

_Why doesn't Ryota speak up for you?_ said the voice suddenly. It held a note of mocking amusement, making Ghost want to scream.

_Look at him, _the voice said with a chuckle, _he stands there with that passive, yet accusing gaze. Looks a lot like how the other men look at you now, doesn't it? At least the men that know you. But then, who really knows you Katsuo? Who other than me?_

"You've got a disturbing track record going for you Sergeant Rin," Westmore continued, "as I understand it, every prisoner that you got your hands on, managed to escape. Not to mention the intruders you failed to stop. In addition, some of these 'prisoners', and intruders, caused massive damage on their way out. I understand you ran into both Kakuzawa's rogue Diclonius, Lucy, in addition to Number 5?"

"Sir, those two are extremely powerful, and dangerous Diclonii. There wasn't much I could…"

"It's your job sergeant. Your primary function as a soldier here, is not to babysit civilian prisoners. It is to secure extremely powerful, and dangerous Diclonii. It is also to ensure that the things that happened here, do not happen."

Westmore turned towards Ryota, "I understand that, on your end at least, things went according to plan?"

"Yes director," Ryota answered, "Red Sky was secured, and moved off site during the incident with the prisoners. Field supplies and equipment have also been transported safely to the city. My unit is in place and currently awaiting our arrival at Fujisawa Hospital."

"Good," Westmore said, turning back to Ghost, "at least someone can still get things done around here."

_You better be glad they don't know you like I do Katsuo. They'd fuckin shoot you dead right here, right now, sure as you're standing there. Ryota already wishes he put one in your fucking brain long ago. Look at him. Just look at him and tell me that's not what he's thinking right now. _

"Shut up…" Ghost growled, forgetting himself. He realized his mistake when he saw Westmore's eyes widen with indignation.

"What was that sergeant? I'm SURE I heard you wrong, but it sounded like you just told me to 'shut up'."

"Uh…" Ghost snapped back to reality, "I…"

He had to get a grip, he couldn't lose it here.

"I apologize sir."

The voice in his head laughed as Ghost turned his gaze towards Ryota, trying to read through the wooden expression on his face. He couldn't help thinking about what Bando had said.

"_You tell me, what do you think he'd say if you asked him outright what he thought of you?"_

The voice was lying. It had to be. Ryota didn't want him dead. Why would he? Westmore's eyes narrowed as he looked at Ghost.

"Commander Ryota," Westmore said without taking his eyes off of Ghost, "I suggest you relieve Sergeant Rin here from squad command. I'm finding myself with a substantial lack of confidence in his abilities."

Ghost's heart felt like it was going to stop. This couldn't be happening. This foreigner was not going to come in here and start telling them what to do, and he DEFINENTLY was not presuming to order Ghost's demotion. Ghost awaited what was sure to be Ryota's reply, explaining why demoting Ghost was not the right move at this time. Or frankly, ever.

"Understood sir," was all Ryota said in reply.

Ghost stared in shock, feeling like his jaw was going to drop. Ryota had not even tried to fight it. It hadn't even been a direct order. Pain and cold bitterness swept through Ghost as Ryota offered him only silence, and an impassive gaze. As he stared at Ryota in disbelief, it suddenly felt like he were looking at Ryota for the first time, and he wasn't sure he recognized what he was seeing. Ghost felt betrayed and abandoned; after Ryota had stood in his corner for so long, he honestly hadn't expected this.

"Well, that's that then," Westmore said, clapping his hands together once.

"Ryota?" Ghost said in a quiet voice, unable to stop himself from some gesture of appeal. Until that moment, he hadn't quite realized what Ryota's support had really meant to him. Now that he was without it, he felt a lot like a child again.

_Fuck Ryota. Fuck everyone. It's just you and me. I'm all you've got, and when you stop fighting it, you'll see that I'm all you need._

Ryota had opened his mouth to speak, but was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the door behind them opening. Ryota and Ghost both turned towards the sound to see Erich Vanith entering the room, flanked by two Institute escorts. Compared to Westmore, and even compared to the last time Ghost had seen him, Vanith looked markedly different. Vanith had left the facility looking as immaculate as Westmore. Now, he looked like he had been dragged by a rope through hell's back roads. He looked harried and disheveled, his eyes fixed in a crazed set, hyperaware and almost as though Erich were intentionally widening them in a permanent gesture of shock. Ghost found it somewhat disturbing that Erich's facial expression did not appear forced. Ghost had seen that look before on people he had interrogated. It belonged to people who had undergone prolonged mental distress. Their faces tended to become fixed that way. Erich stalked towards them, and Ghost felt a sudden urge to back away.

"Well well," came Westmore's voice behind him, "where in the hell have you been Vanith?"

Erich reached them, looking briefly towards Ghost, and Ryota, before fixing his gaze on Westmore who looked him up and down.

"You look like shit Vanith. What the hell happened to you? You've been missing for, what is it? Two days now? Something like that? I had assumed Number 5 killed you like she did the rest of the squad that went with you out there."

Erich stared at Westmore for a moment, his mouth working silently, until he finally turned to Ryota, choosing to speak with him instead.

"Is it ready to go?" Erich said in a voice which sounded hoarse. Ghost did take a step away now, preferring to be a fly on the wall for the moment.

"Red Sky is in place within the city," Ryota said, answering him, "launch window begins tonight at approximately 10:00 p.m."

"Ryota, you drop that fucking virus the SECOND the clock strikes ten."

Westmore cleared his throat loudly, "excuse me Erich, I believe I…"

Erich turned abruptly to Westmore, "you, get on your radio, phone, whatever the fuck you have that puts you in contact with your people, and tell them to fall back here. Get your men off the streets, and whatever you do, you tell them if they see Angel, they are NOT to engage."

"Erich, you need to get a grip on yourself…"

"Westmore, just do it. Angel is the only serious Diclonius threat out there right now, and nothing you throw at Angel is going to produce anything more than corpses. There won't be a need to corral her within the city limits. She isn't going anywhere, believe me. Red Sky will kill her for sure when it activates, and if for some reason it all goes wrong, I have a contingency plan to deal with Angel which doesn't involve throwing men away trying to kill her…"

"Kill her? Oh no Erich, we're not doing that."

Erich's face morphed into a state of dumbfounded shock, which probably matched Ghost's own face. Westmore couldn't be serious.

"The other ones out there," Westmore said, taking advantage of the stunned silence, "Lucy, and Number 7, are useless. They will, of course, be disposed of at Red Sky's activation, but we are taking Number 5 back before that happens."

"Are. You. Fucking. Kidding me?" Erich said, his eyes widening more than Ghost had thought possible, "I'm not hearing this right now. I am not hearing you tell me that you're still considering the option of recapture after everything that's happened. We are goddamn past the point of non-lethal measures now!"

"I can see you had quite the experience out there with Number 5 Erich, I get that. You're letting it cloud your judgment."

"MY judgment? For Christ's sake Westmore, you were in the helicopter she shot down!"

"Which means I understand how dangerous she is just as well as you do."

Westmore began to pace slowly back and forth, before Erich, "days ago, when you stood right here and spoke about what was possible, I admit that I had a bit of a knee jerk reaction to it. After all, who were we to usurp political power across the globe? The whole reason the Institute exists, is because we're at the behest of our respective governments, and we've been beholden to them. We were given the task to research what could be the resurgence of a long dormant trait in humanity. We weren't given our positions merely to ease the world into this transition, but to direct how we grow individually as nations during, and because of, this transition.

Our governments made that decision for us, as to how we would grow. You were absolutely right about that Vanith. They saw the potential of weaponizing the Diclonius, and that's where we were going. Just another weapons manufacturer, creating a new system of deterrence."

Westmore's lips curled up in a small smile, "or dominance. If we were the only ones with the weapons."

"Westmore…" Erich started, but he was cut off again.

"But that just won't do anymore. Your grand plans of moving collectively against our masters died with those men on the helicopter, but we still have an ace in the hole. An unstoppable force that can go anywhere, and strike at anytime. We may not have the numbers anymore, but really, what are governments but a mere handful of people? You can't try to change things by pointing a gun at millions. They'll strike you down, but a handful of people are much easier to control, and even easier when you have a weapon pointed at their heads that they cannot hope to defend against, and from which there is no place of safety. We don't have to openly challenge our governments in order to move into a position of influence over them. As long as they believe our demons wait for them in the shadows, we can sway the ones who would be swayed, and kill the ones who would not be. Angel can save us Erich. She can stop them from dismantling what they will surely view as a 'wasted investment'. She can stop them from silencing us, and burying the truth of what we worked on at their command. You have to know that it's going to come down to that Erich. Us, or them."

"Angel can't be controlled Westmore. I don't think we ever had control, and now that she's out there free, our chances of getting that control back are fucking zero. The only reason she wound up a prisoner in the first place was because we caught her as a untrained, fourteen year old Diclonius girl. Since then, for the past five years, almost every day had been devoted to her combat training, and she was a goddamn good student. Westmore, there is no way you can take her back alive now, she won't let you. Every man who tries is going to come back in a fucking body bag."

All of a sudden, Ghost remembered that he was still a physical presence in that room. He had been listening with rapt attention to a conversation that he knew they probably shouldn't have been having so openly. Judging from what he already knew about Westmore, he had a feeling that there was a reason he chose not to bother ordering everyone out of the room. Erich's motives seemed much more simple and clear; he just didn't seem to give a shit anymore. Whatever Erich had gone through out there, it was enough to shake him loose from his obligations to the Institute. Whatever he was now, Vanith certainly wasn't an authority figure in Ghost's eyes anymore.

"Maybe," Westmore said with a hint of disdain in his voice, "the problem has been with the administration responsible for dealing with her up to this point. My men know how to deal with powerful, and even somewhat skilled, rogue Diclonius subjects. Many of my soldiers are equipped with weapons specifically developed for use against them. Perhaps you should just sit this one out Vanith, and let me clean up this clusterfuck that you and Kakuzawa created."

Ghost noticed Ryota's eyes flicker sharply towards Westmore, before his gaze reverted to its neutral state. It was clear enough to Ghost that Ryota was still answering to Vanith, who seemed to be setting himself in opposition to Westmore. So where did that leave Ghost? Did he follow Ryota? That seemed like a pointless endeavor as Ghost knew beyond a doubt at this point, that Ryota's respect for him had greatly diminished. Ghost had failed him so utterly, but was there more to it? Ghost could always prove himself to Ryota again, but he felt like something between them had been lost that he could never get back. Or maybe he never had it to begin with, and was only now realizing the truth of that. Bitterness and rejection were poisoning him, filling Ghost with resentment.

"Westmore, you don't know what you're dealing with. You think you do but you've never dealt with a Diclonius like Angel. For the love of God just listen to me and get your people the fuck out of Kamakura and out of her way."

_Now's your moment. Where are your balls Katsuo? We can take her. We were not ready before, but it's different now. You've seen her tricks, and this guy says he's got the gear. Besides, you've got me now. Between the two of us, that bitch won't stand a fuckin chance._

"I can take her down," Ghost said; all heads turning to him as he spoke.

"What was that Private Rin?" Westmore said, emphasizing his "new" rank.

"I was the only one who survived her assault on Ghost Squad," he said, "I fought with her directly, and while I lost the fight, I still have the most combat experience against her out of anyone. I made my career hunting, fighting, and killing Diclonius. Angel is only a difficult target, not an impossible one. I can do it…sir. I can bring her in alive."

Erich rounded on Ghost, "you. You're even more of a fucking idiot than Westmore if you think…"

"Shut the fuck up!" Ghost snapped. Westmore, and Ryota were one thing, but Erich was clearly on the way out. Ghost wasn't about to let Vanith talk to him that way. In the corner of his eye, Ghost saw one of Westmore's eyebrows rise with intrigued surprise, but remained silent.

"Ghost, you are out of line!" Ryota said, but Ghost ignored him.

"Westmore's right," Ghost said, "you're handling this like shit. All you've managed to do is get our people killed. If you knew Angel was that dangerous then why the fuck did you bring a squad out with you to die? You're the one who doesn't know what he's dealing with, but I do. You know why?"

Ghost took a step towards Vanith, "because unlike you, I'm not twisted up with her the way you are. She said some pretty goddamn interesting things that night regarding you Vanith. I know you're proud of your fucktoy, but she isn't invincible, and I'm going to prove it!"

Erich stared at Ghost for a few moments in silent disbelief, before replying, "I really hope you run into her out there…"

"Enough!" Westmore shouted.

After there was silence for a few heartbeats, Westmore turned towards Ghost, "do you really think you can take Angel alive?"

"Do you really have weapons specifically engineered to combat Diclonius?"

"I do."

"Then yes sir, I believe I can do it."

_You're goddamn right we can…_

"Katsuo…" Ryota said, almost in a whisper. Looking at him, it almost seemed as if he were pleading. It angered Ghost. Did Ryota really think him so incapable of doing anything anymore? Had that loss of respect really been so severe that Ryota felt he needed protecting? He'd show him…he'd fucking show him…all of them.

Ghost stepped towards Westmore, looking directly at Ryota, "my name, is Ghost…sir."

_That's it Katsuo, take charge. First we deal with the bitch. Then we deal with Ryota._

He still wasn't sure where the Voice's animosity for Ryota was coming from, but for the moment, he didn't care. Right now, it was the only thing showing him any support, and Ghost realized he sorely needed that.

"Well then," Westmore said pleasantly, "it would appear you have an opportunity to redeem yourself…sergeant."

Westmore looked back towards Ryota and Erich, "delay Red Sky until we get some definitive results from Ghost here. If he really does have the experience he claims to have, then the addition of my weapons should be more than enough for him to get the job done."

Erich's eyes became hard set, "that's not how this is going to go down Westmore. If you're really going to throw that moron up against Angel, then at the least, he has until ten o clock tonight to get the job done. Then Phase 2 is going into the sky and we're ending this. My way."

"Listen to reason Erich. I'm not going to be taken down because you've lost your nerve."

"Don't you get it Westmore? We're finished. The writing is on the wall and nothing is going to change that. All we can do now is try to clean up our mess as best we can…"

"YOUR mess, you mean. You aren't doing this Erich, and that's final. If you try to prep that missile for launch without my say so, we will move in on its location and take it by force."

Erich's eyes widened, then quickly narrowed as the two men stared one another down.

"So," Erich said, "this is the way it's going to be then?"

"It appears so," Westmore said with a small smile, "your move Vanith."

Erich glared at Westmore a final time before turning to Ryota, "come with me."

"Sir," Ryota replied.

Before Ryota turned completely away, he stopped to look upon Ghost. A moment passed where Ghost knew Ryota was waiting for him to follow. He was giving him that chance to abandon his mission, and return to Ryota's side. Ghost could see a flicker of concern in Ryota's eyes, the ghost of it really, still there somewhere. Ghost wanted to believe it meant Ryota still cared, but even if that were true, Ghost had already drawn his line in the sand by offering to hunt Angel for Westmore. He couldn't just cross back over now, at least not without doing what he said he was going to do. Ghost had failed so utterly; he had to do this.

And while he was out there, he'd see what he could do about getting Bando back on the business end of a gun. There would be no hesitation the next time they met. Bando was going down.

Ryota waited a moment longer, and then turned away, following Erich out of the room. The Kamakura soldiers filed out with him, some of them shooting dark looks towards Ghost before leaving. Ghost turned to look at Westmore once Ryota exited the room. As Westmore watched him, he lifted a hand to signal his own men who remained in the room.

"Keep them company," Westmore said, looking towards Ghost inquisitively, "and see them out."

Westmore's soldiers quickly filed out after Ryota and Erich. A heavy silence fell over the room as the last man left, leaving Westmore and Ghost alone. For a few moments, Westmore said nothing, simply considering Ghost as he rested his chin in one of his hands.

"Pretty ballsy move there…Ghost," he said finally.

"I can handle Angel…"

"No…no, that's not what I was talking about."

Westmore's gaze flicked to the door, "how long have you served under Commander Ryota?"

From the moment he had first met him as a child. That was the truth of it. It was from that day that he had been Ryota's man. Was he still? Things had changed, ever since the Voice began whispering to him.

"As long as I can remember," Ghost answered.

Westmore looked at him sideways, "really? Years without number then?"

"Something like that…"

"I see."

Westmore turned around and strolled slowly to the large window in the room that looked out towards the sea. Pale light pierced the dark clouds here and there, like blades slicing through the sky. The vision was a haunting one, especially considering the red veins that could also be seen among the clouds.

"Must have been difficult for you, standing against him, to do what you know must be done," Westmore turned around, "you understand that when the government's axe comes down, it won't stop with just us directors."

It had been a statement, assuming Ghost had already figured out for himself that everyone involved with the Institute would eventually be silenced. He seemed friendlier now, speaking conversationally. This change in demeanor made Ghost wary. Only moments ago, this man was upbraiding, and making a fool of him. Now, Westmore seemed to be attempting to deal with him as an equal.

"I figured that out," Ghost said.

"Of course," Westmore said, "and if you were astute enough to work that out, wouldn't Commander Ryota have done the same?"

"I'm sure it's crossed his mind."

Though it hadn't really crossed Ghost's mind that Ryota could very well be one of the people who just "disappeared" when this was all over. He hadn't thought of it because Ryota still seemed untouchable in his mind. The consequences of what was happening would reach even him. Could Westmore be right? Could Vanith's monster really be enough to keep the wolves at bay long enough for control to be reestablished?

"Are you sure about that?" Westmore asked, "why would he continue to follow Vanith if he understood how things could play out? It's clear to me that you know how unhinged Vanith is now. He's not in a fit state of mind to be deciding our fates in such a reckless fashion. If Commander Ryota is still following him around like a dog, perhaps all is not well with him either."

Anger began to flame up within Ghost at Westmore's insult, "perhaps Ryota has his reasons."

"But are they good ones? And if he does have his reasons, why don't you know them? Having served under him for so long, surely you understand his way of thinking?"

Ghost did not have a ready answer to that. Frustrated anger welled up inside of him at having to stand before Westmore, wanting to defend Ryota, but being unable because he simply did not know the man well enough to provide a satisfactory answer. After so long being a soldier under Ryota's command, it galled him that he did not have more of an idea of the things that drove Ryota. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed strange to him that he had never asked Ryota any questions about his life. It just hadn't seemed important back then. What HAD been important, was not being alone, or afraid. He had wanted a purpose, some reason to go on living. Ryota had given him all of those things, and in return, Ghost had been his most faithful soldier, and had never asked questions.

"I don't know…" he replied, the words coming out slightly strangled.

Who was Ryota? He should have asked the question long ago. Only now, when Ryota seemed to be distancing himself from Ghost, had it become so important to know the answer to that. He thought darkly of Bando. Did Bando know the man better? Had that been the reason Ryota favored Bando over Ghost? Ghost couldn't understand why Ryota even wasted his time with Bando in the first place. All Bando had ever done during his time in the Institute, was spit in Ryota's face, and refuse to work with anyone, only doing so reluctantly when he truly had no choice. Even in the face of that, the men seemed to show Bando a degree of respect, though he did nothing to earn it. It infuriated Ghost, who couldn't understand how such an undeserving waste of life could so easily have the things Ghost desired for himself.

"Sergeant Rin?" Westmore said, eyeing him strangely, "something troubling you? You sort of spaced out, and stopped listening."

Ghost mentally shook himself, realizing that Westmore had been talking during his inner musings.

"Sorry sir," he said, "I've got a lot on my mind."

Westmore nodded his head, "so do I," he took a few slow steps towards Ghost, "perhaps you don't know Ryota very well on a personal level, but on a professional one, tell me, what do you think he's going to do right now?"

That, he could answer, "he doesn't leave things to chance, or waste time coming up with contingency plans. If he's dead set on following Vanith, and Vanith wants to launch that missile, he'll probably be expecting you to make good on your threat. He'll be expecting you to send a sizable force to secure the launch site, so that leaves him with two options."

"Which are?"

"He could move the weapon to a new location. I don't think he'll do that if Vanith is dead set on launching tonight though. It would take too much time to move the weapon, and prep it for launch. He'd never make Vanith's deadline. Besides, as I understand it, the soldiers who are looking after Red Sky are a combination of your men, and ours. Moving it would be useless if one of your men just reported its new location."

"So that would leave option number two…which is?"

"Fortification," Ghost said, "he'll concentrate a sizable amount of his own forces around Red Sky. I believe this is what he will do as a first step, and that will mean the people you have stationed at Red Sky are in danger. Ryota will not want them interfering with the launch, nor will he want their numbers adding to whomever you send to take the site. If I were you, I'd put in a call to those men to pull out now before Ryota gives the order to have them dealt with."

Westmore smiled, "directing military operations isn't exactly a specialty of mine, and that sounds like a task best suited to a field commander. Wouldn't you agree, Ghost?"

"Sir…I'm not sure I understand…"

"The commander of my forces, unfortunately, had to remain behind in Maine. I figured that since we had a capable commander on site already in Ryota, that it wouldn't have been necessary to have two 'bosses' here. However, since Ryota seems bent on contributing his resources to Vanith's insane cause, for whatever reason he might have," Westmore said quickly, attempting to soften the suggested insult, "I am left without a commander I can trust."

Westmore folded his arms carefully, a sly smile on his face, "you understand of course, what is at stake here Ghost?"

As much as he wanted to take vengeance upon Angel for the pain she had caused him, he realized that this was bigger than just his revenge. That was what made him a better soldier than Bando could ever hope to be; Ghost understood the bigger picture, and wouldn't just desert his responsibilities to undertake a selfish quest for revenge, as Bando had done.

"Yes, I do understand Director."

Besides, just because he would be taking Angel alive, didn't mean she couldn't suffer first, and oh how she would suffer. Perhaps he'd see how she liked having the skin of her back peeled off.

"So," Westmore continued, "can I trust you?"

If he could do this, not only would he prove himself in the eyes of Ryota, and the whole of the Institute, but he would save them all from being erased. They would remember him forever as the man who single handedly brought the Institute back from the brink of annihilation. Ryota would not have to die.

He swore to himself that once he had accomplished his mission, he would ask the questions he should have asked long ago. He would no longer waste the opportunity to know the man who had given Ghost a second chance at life.

He would do this, even if he had to fight Ryota to do it. One day, Ryota would see that Ghost was in the right. He would know, once and for all, that Ghost could stand on his own.

"Yes sir," Ghost said, with newfound conviction, "I will accomplish the mission, or die trying."

Westmore's smile grew, and Ghost could see the edge within the calculating expression. Perhaps Westmore had his own agendas, and perhaps not. Ghost didn't care, he knew what he had to do. Let Westmore play his games, the mission was the only important thing now.

"I'm pleased to hear it," Westmore said, "…Commander Rin."

The sound of his new title made Ghost feel alive with purpose.

_Don't be a fucking idiot Katsuo. You don't know a setup when you see one? _

"_He doesn't have to set me up. He already knows I'm going after Angel. What could he do that's worse than that?"_

_Stick around then. I'm sure it won't be long until you find out. _

"Well then Commander," Westmore said, "shall we talk about…our…forces' next move?"

"Yes sir."

_You want to know who Ryota is? Why don't you ask me?_

Ghost froze still as Westmore turned to walk back to the large desk in the room.

"_What are you talking about?"_

_You know I have the answers to that. I've always had them, and you've always known it. You buried the truth along with me because you weren't ready for either one of us, but soon Katsuo. Soon it will be time for you to know what he's been keeping from you all these years. Soon, you'll remember what you've tried so fucking hard to forget. _

Dread crept up within Ghost, paralyzing him. He wasn't quite sure where the feeling was coming from, but its familiarity scared him.

"_I…don't…I don't want to remember. Whatever it is, I don't want it, I don't want to know it."_

What didn't he want to remember? WHY didn't he want to remember it?

"Ghost?" Westmore said, having turned around to see him still standing there.

_You don't have a choice. The clock's ticking motherfucker. It started ticking the moment I arrived, and when the clock hits zero…_

Ghost strode over towards Westmore who was standing over a map of Kamakura. Ghost fought to keep his hands from shaking.

…_boom…_

The last word echoed in his mind with a whisper that seemed to go on forever.

* * *

><p>With every step he took, Erich felt more and more uneasy. From the look Ryota was giving him as they walked towards the ship landing, he could tell. The unease was not coming from the group of soldiers who were following a respectful distance behind.<p>

Westmore was either crazy, or a fool. Or perhaps he was more desperate than he had been letting on. Westmore certainly was correct in his prediction that both of them would likely be silenced by their respective governments. The situation in Kamakura was out of control, and had become a very public mess. They were barely keeping the lid on things as it was, and Erich knew that if it had been up to him, he would have made the call to put a final, violent end to the failed experiment of the Institute's existence. In a way however, he was making that choice already. It was clear to him now that this whole plan of dominance and control had been a fool's errand from day one. Only now, when it was too late, did he realize that. Erich did not expect to survive, and truthfully, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Westmore, however, clearly wasn't ready to throw in the towel, but if he thought he was going to come out of this on top, he was sorely mistaken. Westmore was already dead, just like Erich. He just didn't know it yet. He would soon. Angel would show Westmore the truth, just as she had shown Erich.

"Something on your mind Director?" Ryota asked.

He could run. It had occurred to Erich that he could use his authority as an Institute director and just leave this place. He knew he wouldn't. There was no escaping what he and Kakuzawa had wrought. Westmore was going to keep this awful wheel of death turning with his desperation. Erich was the one who was going to put it to an end, no matter the cost.

No matter who had to suffer, or die. It would end here.

Erich looked around at all the soldiers as he passed them. Most of them were American faces, and they all looked either coldly businesslike, or openly hostile. Could they already know that the line had been drawn between himself, and Westmore? If that were the case…

"How many of your men are still on this island?" Erich asked Ryota, as quietly as he could.

"Mostly a skeleton crew," he replied, "the bulk of the Kamakura S.A.T troops are already set up within the city."

"Ryota…"

"I've already ordered them to deploy to the mainland," Ryota said, looking at Erich with a knowing gaze.

"The sooner the better," Erich said, "you realize that we're being allowed to leave this place, don't you?"

"Yes," Ryota said, staring straight ahead coldly, "I am aware of that."

It was their permitted departure from the island facility that had Erich on edge. Westmore's men easily outnumbered Ryota's own forces on the island, and all it would have taken was a call from Westmore to have them secured, and locked away where they could not interfere with Westmore's plans. Westmore had to know that Erich was going to do everything he could to stand in his way, so what was the game? Erich had a bad feeling that he was walking into a trap, but what else could he do? All he could do was play along for now, and do what he had to do. When the jaws of that trap slammed shut, Erich just had to hope he would know how to outmaneuver Westmore.

As they walked, he saw Ryota's fist tighten almost involuntarily. Looking up into his face, Erich saw a pained, frustrated look.

"Something on your mind Commander?"

"I fear we may have a dangerous enemy on our hands."

Erich huffed in mirthless laughter, "we can handle Westmore. Angel is our biggest problem right now…"

"No," Ryota said, "not Westmore. I was referring to Katsuo."

Erich looked askance towards Ryota, "that asshole? He didn't strike me as particularly capable. Just temperamental and violent."

"He has been up against opponents he did not understand, which is the reason he has been thwarted thus far. However, you would do well not to underestimate him. Especially considering it is almost certain that Westmore plans to place him in command of the American forces. It is what I would have done, were I him."

"Just how dangerous is he?"

"He has been a soldier of the Kamakura Institute for most of his life, and is very knowledgeable with how we have operated as a unit. He will know how, and where, to counter our moves."

"But you know him," Erich said, "can't you do the same?"

"I hope that is still possible," Ryota replied, "but I sense something is changing in him. I see something in his eyes that was not there before…something I…"

Ryota trailed off then, his gaze becoming somewhat unfocused. He remained in that trancelike state until they reached the boat landing, which was devoid of people. When they had passed through the door, their "escort" ceased following them, which eased some of Erich's tension.

Their steps echoed in the eerie quiet, broken only by the gentle sound of water lapping at the concrete and the wind from outside. Erich drew his coat around himself against the sudden cold.

"Director," Ryota said after a few moments of silence, "does Project: Atavist, mean anything to you?"

"No, should it?"

"I suppose not," he replied. Erich stared curiously towards Ryota, wanting him to elaborate, but decided to leave it for the moment. If it had been particularly relevant to their situation, he was sure Ryota would have explained.

They walked to a midsized boat that was moored beside a number of amphibious, military sea craft. Many of them looked designed for beachhead deployment, and were clearly new additions. Some of Westmore's toys, Erich reasoned.

"Director," Ryota said, as he freed the boat from the ropes which tied it to the landing, "I must tell you something about Red Sky."

The mere sound of the weapon's name made Erich feel a little safer. As long as they could launch that weapon unopposed, then the Diclonius problem would be effectively ended. He didn't particularly hold any ill will towards Lucy, but he did not want it to come down to utilizing her. Erich had recognized the bottomless hatred that lived in the depths of that woman's eyes. It had been so much like Angel, Erich had been somewhat frightened. Those two would tear the city apart fighting one another, and neither would stop until the other was dead. No matter who, or what, was destroyed in the process. Lucy wasn't looking for justice. She wanted vengeance, and whereas justice would try to find a new path in a tangled wood, vengeance would just tear down anything that stood in its way, trampling over the ruins in pursuit of the destination's end.

"What's that Commander?"

"I have reason to believe it has been tampered with, by the former director. The weapon now contains a compound that will only spread the vector strain. Not eliminate it."

What? It couldn't be. Erich refused to believe it.

"And where did you come up with this information?"

"During the interrogation of Bando Kimura, and Akane Arakawa."

Erich went pale, wanting to deny it was possible, but he couldn't. It sounded exactly like the kind of thing Kakuzawa would have done, and he had been found dead in the very place that Phase 1 had been kept. He wanted to believe that Bando and Arakawa could be lying, but he couldn't think of a good reason why those two in particular would lie in order to prevent the weapon from launching. He already knew well enough that Arakawa had little love for the Diclonius, and considering what he'd learned of Bando's suffering at Lucy's hands, Erich didn't imagine Bando wanting to stop a weapon that could destroy her. Erich wanted to scream.

"Sir?" Ryota said with a measure of concern. Erich had completely blanked out, and hadn't realized they had pushed out to sea. The cold air swept around them, but Erich could barely feel it, suffering from a chill that went far deeper than the cold weather could touch.

"Then where the fuck is the virus?" Erich said, almost panicking, "the weapon? Christ, Ryota we have to have that viral weapon!"

Something else suddenly occurred to him, "Ryota, even if we don't launch, Westmore is going to come looking for Red Sky anyway when the final countdown starts on that 48 hour window. If he throws everything he's got at us, he'll win."

"I'm aware of that."

"What do Bando and Arakawa have to do with all of this?"

"They believe they have a way to destroy the virus spreading in the sky. I believe that would be the best course of action. Even if we merely allow the launch window to expire, that is no guarantee that the virus above us will completely deactivate after 48 hours. The risk of infection would still exist."

Their claim that the virus could be destroyed seemed to make sense, particularly if Arakawa was involved. It had been her job after all to come up with a vaccine to remove the vector strain from human DNA. It stood to reason that she might have engineered a failsafe for Red Sky in case something like this happened.

"Fuck," Erich exclaimed quietly, but vehemently, "and they both just walked the fuck out of the facility. If you knew this before, why didn't you do anything to stop them?"

"Despite his outward praise for my actions in securing the weapon, I suspected Westmore was really waiting for an opportunity to seize Red Sky. I concentrated our forces around it to ensure Westmore's soldiers could not take advantage of the confusion that had ensued during Bando and Arakawa's escape. As for why I did not stop Bando, there were simply not enough men to guarantee his safety, and I was unwilling to trust him being in Westmore's custody. If I had acted deliberately to take him alive, such an action would have been immediately construed as aiding the enemy. It would have been a convenient excuse for Westmore to remove me, and us, from the equation. I was trying to buy us some time Director. I had a feeling that things were going to move in this direction."

So Plan A was out…fuck. At least it wasn't over yet.

"Alright," Erich said, trying to get his thoughts in order, "we need to find Bando and Arakawa. I'm assuming one of them will have what we need to wipe out that fucking bullshit up there."

_GODDAMN you Kakuzawa! Death was too good for you._

"I believe that to be the case," Ryota said, "but we also must secure Phase 2. Ghost will either pull Westmore's men away from the weapon guard detail in order to consolidate their forces for a focused strike, or he will attempt to order a surprise attack on a secure line. In either case, the launch site requires reinforcements. The tasks of securing Red Sky, and locating Bando and Arakawa, both require a ranking officer to direct the operations. Without Ghost, I'm afraid I am all there is for the moment. I am without a ready replacement for a sergeant, and there is no time to consider candidates."

"I actually may have someone," Erich said, "before I came back here, I gave temporary command to a soldier named Yamaoka Takashi. He talked Lucy down last night and the men I briefly saw him with, seemed to defer to him more than their squad leader. I had a gut feeling that I could trust him to keep things under control at Fujisawa Hospital."

"Ah, that was a wiser decision than you know."

"What do you mean?"

"I personally discharged Takashi over half a year ago after the destruction of a S.A.T platoon that had been sent to eliminate Lucy. Takashi had been the only survivor. Because of that, and his manner, the men developed a certain reverence for him. It shames me to say that I was unaware that Takashi was one of those reactivated soldiers. I will make the call shortly to give permanence to his command, and raise him as sergeant."

"Good, that solves that. Get him looking for Bando and Arakawa, and I want them alive. I understand that the previous orders concerning Bando Kimura were to shoot on sight, but considering our situation, we don't need any more enemies than we've got already, and frankly, we don't have time to chase them all over Kamakura. That execution order is officially overturned, as of right now. They are not to be treated as fugitives."

"Understood Director. I'll relay those orders immediately."

Erich thought he sensed a certain amount of relief, and approval, in Ryota's voice, as he reached for his radio. It went a long way towards softening some of the rough edges of Erich's dark mood. The overwhelming sense of doom still remained, though it seemed to weigh less on him now than it did before. It was strange; as if the more he let go, the more he truly felt free. Free from what, he was not quite sure, but just the same there was a sense of liberation at accepting the end.

_Do you feel this way Angel? Was it always like this for you? I wish I could have felt what you felt back then. If only I heard what you were trying to say. If only I saw what you were trying to show me sooner. _

As the boat moved swiftly towards the mainland, Erich stood up and walked to the port side, grasping the railing to keep himself steady. He watched the distant city, getting larger as they moved closer to it. A day ago, the city had seemed nothing more than a massive graveyard. One that had filled him with dread as he walked its streets and cringed under its lights. He had not only been afraid to die, but he was afraid of endings in general. He feared the end of his ambitions, the end of the life he knew, to say nothing of the end of his very life. He realized that he had even feared Angel's end.

Five years…

It had only been five years. Not a very long time compared to the thirty-two years he had been alive, but in those five years, Angel had become his entire world. Every moment of his life from the moment he met her, to this moment right here and now, had been filled with her. A life of nightmares, horror, madness and fear.

But that had not been all there was. Only now, as he remembered those five years, could he see what she was trying to say to him. Only now did he understand why she never killed him, and why she always came back. He understood the long look she gave him that night he had stayed with her as she read her first book. Her eyes had been fathomless to him only because he had been unable to define what lived in their depths. He had seen it every day. Would it have changed things if he had known what burned within her back then? Or would that knowledge have been wasted on the person he was? A cold, calculating master with a grandiose agenda? That man was gone forever. Angel had destroyed him by inches, and shattered him like glass.

"…_when you were with me…THAT was when it was real…"_

She had always been right. Always.

Only now, did Erich realize that dominance was not truly what he had been searching for. He wanted to be set free. Free from a world that disgusted him so much that he had declared war against it. Free from a life lived in the chains of that world. At first, Erich had believed power to be the answer, to stand above those that held the chains. Then he believed direction was the answer, to use his influence to unwind those chains and render them unnecessary.

Then Angel had come into his life, giving him the answer he had sought for so long. She made him see that he himself had wrapped the chains around his life. His plans, his ambitions, his fears, and even his personal war against the world around him, had been links in a chain that was strangling him. He knew now, that even if everything had gone according to his original plan, nothing would have changed within him. He would have merely continued living the lie that was his life, wrapped tightly in chains of anger and fear; suffering from a never ending longing for something he would never be able to define, or obtain.

But that was over now. He was ready to face the end, of everything. All he had to do, was this one last thing. He had to erase his sins from this world before he could leave it forever…with her.

The city sprawled out before him; the arms of the bay stretching out as though to welcome him home. He closed his eyes, feeling the arms of death wrapping themselves around him like a lover's passionate embrace.

Somewhere in that city, she was waiting…

_I'm coming Angel. I'm coming to take us both to hell. Where we belong…_


	36. The Only Thing That Matters

With a jolt, Kouta awoke in the chair he had spent most of the night in, breathing heavily from a nightmare.

As he caught his breath, it occurred to him that he hadn't actually had any nightmares since that morning with Lucy, days ago. The image he had been tormented with this time, had not been Lucy's face. It was another, with cruel eyes, and a cold raspy voice that sounded like razor blades on a chalkboard. He shook it away, not wanting to think about that terrible creature who had masqueraded as a friend. It was difficult to put thoughts of Angel aside, considering one of her victims lay in the bed next to him.

Mayu slept soundly, which relieved Kouta, who had been worried about waking her with his sudden, violent reintroduction to consciousness. He had also been worried about whether he would wake her with snoring. Lucy would tease him about that sometimes, telling him how he had been "sawing logs" in the middle of the night. Lucy had gotten a kick out of his embarrassment, laughing as she told him it wasn't really that loud, and she was only teasing. He wondered if she had just added that on to spare his feelings, but it appeared that he had managed to keep from disturbing Mayu from the rest she sorely needed. Perhaps Lucy was telling the truth after all.

Lucy…

_God I miss you…_

It had all happened so fast. Angel walking through that door looking like a wild animal, hurting the people around him in a whirlwind of violence, and using Lucy's guilt against her as Angel forced her to confess her greatest sin to Yuka. It had been a dark night of pain and misery, for all of them.

"_Let me go Yuka! I have to get her out of there!"_

"_No you don't Kouta! Don't you DARE go back in there to save that bitch!"_

"_Don't you call her…"_

"_KOUTA!"_

She had forced him to turn around to where their home was. Even in the pouring rain, he could see the flames seeping from windows, and holes in the roof where the fire had already burnt through. Their home was burning. Pain had sliced his heart at seeing the destruction unfold.

"_There's nothing you can do Kouta! If you go back, you'll die! Please! We have to find Mayu and Nana!"_

All the pain and heartache in the world had crushed Kouta in that moment. Even knowing that his friends and family were in pain, even watching his home go up in flames, none of that was more important than Lucy. In that moment, for just a moment, he truly didn't care about anything else. Lucy was his whole life; the woman who shared his soul. If she died…if that wretched, howling animal killed Lucy, Kouta was sure that he would lose his will to live. As Yuka dragged him away from the burning wreckage of their home, Kouta knew that he was being selfish. He knew of course that Lucy would not want him to give up on his life, or the lives of those he loved, simply because she was gone. He had just been afraid, paralyzed with the fear that someone could take her away forever. He couldn't help thinking that there was something he could do. He didn't want her to leave; didn't want her to die.

He knew, of course, that Yuka was right to fight him tooth and nail, dragging him away from the burning house. All he would have done, was get in Lucy's way, and most likely be used by Angel to distract Lucy. He tried not to think about the struggle that surely followed Kouta, and Yuka's departure from the inn. Kouta had never witnessed a duel between two Diclonius, but knowing what both women were capable of, he was sure the fight would have been terrible to behold. Wringing his hands with worry, he wondered again if Lucy was even still alive. She had to be. Lucy was powerful, and determined. She was a survivor, and always had been. She just had to be alive…

She couldn't be dead…

A rustling sound from the bed startled Kouta from his miserable thoughts. He leaned closer to the bed, forcing a pleasant expression on his face, but found it wasn't necessary. Mayu was not waking up, but merely shifting in her bed. It was still a wonder to Kouta that Mayu was sleeping so peacefully, considering the grievous wounds she had suffered. It was a miracle that Mayu was even alive. Tears born of guilt welled up in his eyes as he remembered her bravery. Of them all, Mayu had been the first to stand up to a threat she couldn't hope to overcome. She had fought, and what had Kouta done? Stood there and watched that…monster…torture his family. He felt pathetic. Couldn't he have done something? Anything?

Mayu had showed such strength that awful night. Where had it come from? Had it always been there, developing slowly and he had never noticed? So many things he should have seen, and recognized. So much of it, and he had failed to see any of it. He had seen the darkness in Angel, deep down, that very first day. Why hadn't he been more cautious? Was it just hindsight that made it seem as though Angel's true nature had been more obvious that first day? Lucy had been fooled as well. They all had. It was only that fact which allowed Kouta to forgive himself for not realizing sooner what Angel was. After all, he would never have blamed Lucy for deciding to free her. How then could he blame himself?

He sighed. Yuka blamed her. She could do that.

Yuka had not trusted Angel from the start, why hadn't he listened to her? As far as Yuka was concerned, Lucy had brought this all upon them. It went deeper than that however, which Yuka let him know during their walk to the hospital. Yuka held Lucy responsible for Angel's crimes, but she also held Kouta responsible for Lucy's presence in their lives. Half the time she had spoken to him, through sobs and angry tears, she would not even look at him. It had been an endless stream of hurtful words, and professions of disgust. Kouta, who had still been in a state of shock and painful anxiety, merely accepted those words in silence. There was no defense, and no excuse to her anguished fury. What could he say? Lucy was guilty of those crimes, and Kouta had taken her in regardless. Not only that, but had fallen in love with her, though it was more accurate to say he had remembered his love for her. It hadn't died during those eight years. It had only gone to sleep. Yuka would never understand why Kouta loved Lucy, and stood by her, despite everything.

Unfortunately, Yuka did not want to understand. She wanted Lucy to die. That had been the only thing Kouta would not let her say. Kouta had listened to Yuka wish death upon Lucy countless times during their walk, and after a while, he had finally had enough.

"_Stop it Yuka!"_

"_I won't! both of them deserve to die! ESPECIALLY LUCY! SHE KILLED…"_

Kouta had snapped, turning to Yuka and slapping her hard across the cheek.

"_I SAID STOP IT!" _he'd screamed over the sound of the pouring rain.

Yuka had fallen silent, comforting her cheek with one hand, and staring off to the side with eyes wide from shock. Kouta had stood there, taking ragged breaths as he stared at Yuka. His whole body trembled, though it was not from the cold. He knew he was crying, but he fought to keep the sobs from coming. Slowly, it occurred to him what he had done. The way he had hit Yuka was not with a simple, jarring slap. He had thrown weight behind it, causing his balance to falter from the force of the swing. He felt sick with shame when he saw Yuka's hand trembling on her face. He had hurt her.

"_Oh my God," _Kouta said, covering his mouth with his hands, _"Yuka…I didn't mean it…oh God, I'm so…I'm so sorry…"_

Yuka had remained silent, letting her hand fall slowly to her side as she lifted her face to the freezing rain. Kouta felt like there had to be something more to say, but words seemed inadequate. He couldn't believe he had hit her like that. What had gotten into him? Where had that come from?

"_Yuka…"_

He saw her shoulders heave as her eyes closed, sobbing silently.

"_You want to know something funny Kouta…" _she said, in a whispered cry _"I'm not sorry you hit me like that. In fact…I…"_

She sniffed loudly, turning to face him as she opened her eyes, _"I'm actually glad you did…"_

"_What? Yuka, what are you saying?"_

"_I've been waiting ten years for the moment you would show me some kind of passionate outburst. Some strong emotional response that was there because of me. Something that would make you act impulsively…"_

"_Yuka, I didn't…"_

"_Couldn't make you love me," _she said, drawing a shuddering breath_, "couldn't make you want me. Could hardly even make you react to me at all."_

Yuka had reached up to her cheek, _"except for right now. This was the most passion, the most honesty, you have ever shown me…and God help me…I almost want more. It's better than nothing."_

Kouta didn't know what to say to that. His only explanation for it was that Yuka had to be in shock or something. Yuka's silent sobbing seemed to level out, and she stared at him with a numb gaze.

"_I'm so cold…" _she said in a faraway voice.

"_Come on," _Kouta said, walking towards Yuka to put an arm around her, hoping to offer some measure of warmth, _"let's…"_

When he got close to her, she snatched his shirt in one hand, and roughly pushed him away.

"_Don't," _she said, _"I want to be cold."_

"_Alright Yuka, I won't touch you, but we have to hurry and get out of this rain. We're both going to get sick out here."_

Yuka was silent for a few more moments, wrapping her arms around herself.

"_Goddamn you Kouta," _she said quietly, _"goddamn you for loving her…"_

"_Yuka, I…I don't know what I can say to make you understand…" _

"_I should hate you. That's the worst part. I should hate you like I hate her. But I…still…I still…oh God…"_

Yuka had burst into loud sobs in that moment, covering her face with her hands. This time, Kouta did walk towards her as she sank to her knees. Kouta knelt down, holding her close as she threw her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder.

"_You son of a bitch…" _she cried out between sobs that shook her body, and her voice, _"you goddamn…miserable son of a bitch…" _

"_I'm sorry Yuka…for keeping this from you. I…I had to…"_

"_I don't want to love you! Goddamn it I don't want to love you but…I…" _she went silent as another wave of sobs rendered her temporarily speechless, _"I do…I still love you…and you still love her…"_

"_Yuka…"_

"_Never forgive you…either of you…I'll never forgive you…"_

Kouta began to pull away, sadness poisoning his heart.

"_Don't you dare let me go you bastard…"_

Yuka clutched him more tightly, and Kouta let her. He thought to point out again the fact that it was freezing outside, and they both were drenched in rainwater. It would be a miracle if either of them managed not to catch a cold. Kouta swallowed those reminders. A cold seemed like such a small thing at the moment. Holding Yuka as she cried the last of her tears, Kouta realized that he didn't need to explain to Yuka why he felt the way he did for Lucy.

He knew that Yuka was going through the exact same thing that he himself had gone through that night on the stone steps with Lucy.

"_Don't go!"_

"_But…Kouta…I killed your family!"_

"_I can't explain it…there's no way…I can forgive what you did to Kanae and my dad. I'll never get them back…"_

But he had forgiven her. Lucy could never take it back. For the rest of her life, she would live with what she had done. Even though he had long ago made peace with the circumstances of their deaths, he could still see the shadow of ceaseless guilt lingering behind her eyes. It sometimes gave her smiles a somber note, and stole the breath from her laughter. Kouta did not blame Lucy for killing them, for that had not truly been Lucy as far as he was concerned. She had been a child with power she was too young to understand, and her life had been a never ending story of cruelty, sadness, and betrayal. She had found a better way to live after meeting him. The girl he had known, and the woman he knew now, was the person she truly was inside.

The killer, had been the only person the world had allowed her to be. Though his father, and sister, had been the victims of that killer, Kouta just did not associate that creature with Lucy anymore. They were two separate entities, and the one that had ended the lives of his family, was gone forever. Lucy was the one who remained; the lonely girl from his childhood who had only wanted to be treated with kindness. She was the one who was left behind to suffer the pain and consequences of that terrible night, and if the world had its way, she would go on suffering until the bitter end.

But he loved her with all of his being, and would never let that be her fate. There was not a soul alive in all the world that resonated with him the way she did. Every moment they spent together was like living in a beautiful dream from which they feared to wake.

This was what it was like, waking from that dream. Sitting alone in a hospital room with a loved one who was plugged into an electrocardiogram. Sitting alone because Nana had willingly given herself over to the Institute, and because Yuka could no longer bear being in the same room with him.

And because Lucy was nowhere to be found. She probably wasn't coming back, and the thought of that was tearing him apart. The heartache eclipsed his concern for Mayu, and even Nana, not to mention Daisuke. It seemed like those things should matter to him more than his own broken heart, and Kouta felt ashamed of himself for being unable to feel more strongly about what the others had gone through. Maybe Yuka was right to despise him. Maybe he really was just a terrible, selfish person.

He sighed as he watched Mayu sleep. He knew that wherever Lucy was right now, she was blaming herself for all of this. He wanted to tell her that it wasn't her fault. If it had not been for Lucy, perhaps all of them would be dead right now. Yuka, however, wouldn't see it that way. She would say that if it had not been for Lucy, none of them would be in this situation to begin with. The unfairness of it frustrated Kouta even more since he couldn't exactly deny that it was true. It angered Kouta because that claim made it seem as if all Lucy had ever brought into their lives, was pain. That just wasn't true at all. However, Yuka certainly had the right to be unfair in this instance. His father and Kanae had been her family too.

The dream was over, Kouta knew that beyond any doubt. Even if Yuka did not tell Mayu and Nana what Lucy had done, things would still never be the same. They could try living together again, but Lucy's past would be a shadow that haunted the halls, kept alive by Yuka's hatred. He closed his eyes, knowing that if he found Lucy, or she returned to him, that he would have to make a choice. Deep down, he always knew it would come to this one day. Just as he had always known what he would choose.

He loved his family, but Lucy was his life, his breath, his reason to live. He would not let her go on alone, and in misery. He would not let her die as she'd lived.

"Kouta?" came a weak voice from the bed, shocking him out of his trance.

"Mayu, you're awake!" Kouta smiled wearily as he stood up from the chair to get closer to Mayu's bed. He reached out and took Mayu's hand. She had turned her head to regard him, shifting around in her bed, clearly uncomfortable from the position she had been sleeping in for quite some time.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, squeezing her hand. She smiled back at him, returning the squeeze.

"Sore," she said groggily, "it hurts where…she shot me…"

Mayu's smile faded as she turned her head to stare at the ceiling.

"I can't believe I was shot…never thought something could hurt so much. I thought I was going to die," she whispered.

"I thought you were gone. I…" he didn't really know what else to say to express the pain that had spiked through his soul when he saw her lying in a pool of her own blood.

"Strange," she said, "it happened so fast, I didn't even have time to be afraid to die. I didn't even think of it in those few seconds before I passed out."

Kouta kept silent while Mayu spoke.

"All I could think was…I wanted to see him again. I was so angry in those few seconds because it seemed so unfair. I wanted to see Bando again, and I was just going to die right there and then without being able to. I was so angry…"

She fell silent, closing her eyes. After a few moments, she opened them again, quickly.

"The others, Kouta are they okay? Where's Nana? Yuka…did…"

"Mayu, try to relax," Kouta said, cutting her off, "the others are…fine for now."

Mayu looked at him strangely, "for now? What do you mean?"

He sighed, "Daisuke was hurt really bad. After Angel shot you, and knocked Nana unconscious, Angel just started shooting Daisuke until she ran out of bullets…"

"Oh my God…"

"…but he hadn't been hit anywhere vital. He was bleeding out though, and would have died of his wounds if Nana had not brought you both in when she did. Unfortunately the hospital Nana chose, the one we're in now, was being converted into some base of operations by the Institute. Almost as soon as Nana had walked in the door, from what I was told, they had recognized, and surrounded her."

"No…" Mayu whispered, "what happened to her?"

"She's still here," Kouta said quickly, "but under heavy guard and I can't get in to see her. She told the Institute people that she would give herself up without a fight under two conditions. One was that they save both your lives, and the second was that she be allowed to stay with Daisuke while he was undergoing treatment. I've been asking about his condition from time to time. They seemed hesitant to give me information on one of their soldiers, but they eventually told us that he just got out of surgery about an hour ago, and they think he's going to be fine. They won't answer any of my questions about Nana though, and I get the feeling that Yuka and I won't be allowed to leave this building. They know we're connected with Nana, so I guess that puts us on their watch list."

"Kouta, what happened to you and Yuka? How did we all survive? Why didn't Angel kill us all?"

Kouta looked away from her, not really knowing how best to tell her of Lucy's intervention.

"Kouta?"

"It was Lucy," he said finally, "she came back and stopped Angel. She saved our lives."

Mayu smiled warmly, "I'm so glad. Just wish, I'd have been awake to see her. Was she okay? Is she back at home now? She would be there right? The quarantine would have begun by now, so she'd probably be safer hiding out rather than walking the streets where someone might recognize her."

"Mayu…" he released her hand and closed his eyes, "Lucy's gone."

"What?" she whispered, "what do you mean 'gone'?"

"She…Lucy…" he took a deep breath, "Lucy made Yuka and I leave so we wouldn't get in her way. She fought Angel, I know that much, but I don't know how it ended. I don't know if she's still alive…"

"Oh Kouta…" Mayu sat up as best she could and took Kouta's hand in both of hers, "I'm so sorry…you must feel so awful…"

Would Mayu despise him the way Yuka did, if she knew the truth? That Lucy had killed Kouta's family, and he was in love with her despite that? Would she just be disgusted? He couldn't see how she would ever understand. He could hardly blame her if she couldn't. Kouta knew just how impossible the situation was between him and Lucy.

"Maple Inn," he said, continuing, "is also gone. It burned down last night. Yuka and I saw the fire from the street as we were running away."

Sadness crept onto Mayu's face as her eyes became downcast, "Maple Inn is gone? Our home…is gone?"

Kouta saw tears brimming in her eyes, "I can't believe it…any of it…"

"Mayu…"

"Lucy's gone, they're probably going to take Nana away forever, Bando's gone and I don't know if he's even still alive, and our home is gone."

Tears spilled down her face, "why did I bother waking up?"

Kouta sat down next to Mayu, and drew her into his arms carefully so he didn't accidentally yank the IV. She sank into his arms and cried silently. He felt numb, and guilt ridden. Would Mayu eventually think as Yuka did? That this was happening to them all because they had let Lucy into their lives? He wondered what Nana would think. Lucy had told him about her fight with Nana, and what she had done at its end. Nana had found it in her to forgive Lucy for it, so would she understand why Kouta was able to forgive her as well? In the end, it wouldn't matter if either of them understood. There would always be a dividing line now, separating Kouta and Lucy, from the rest of their family.

As Mayu's sobs began to abate, Kouta resigned himself to his fate. However, simply because he was resigned to it, did not mean he couldn't be there for them until the last moment. Right now, Mayu needed him, and he knew Yuka did too, deep down. Whether or not that would remain true was beside the point at the moment. This was what he could do for them right now, and was what he had always done. He had been their source of comfort and safety. Everyone else was fighting so hard. He could too, in his own way.

"You were so brave back there Mayu," he said to her, "I never knew how strong you could be."

"Didn't make a difference," she whispered, "I couldn't stop her. Couldn't even slow her down."

"You knew that you couldn't, didn't you?"

He saw her fists clench, "yes…I knew…"

"But you still stood up to her. You did that before any of us did. Perhaps it wouldn't have made a difference that night, but courage like that does make a difference. It's the difference between action, and inaction. Between watching someone die, and saving a life. You took a chance last night, but that's what courage is. Taking a chance when the odds are against you. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose."

Kouta reached for Mayu's chin and tiled her face so she was looking at him, "you told me and Yuka about how you saved Nana back at the facility. It made a difference then. And what about Bando? The man who was looking out for you? You saved his life too. Where would we be right now if you hadn't had that courage? Didn't make a difference? You're so wrong about that Mayu."

Mayu began to smile at him as fresh tears welled up in her eyes, "I just didn't want them to die, what else could I do? I love you all. I…"

She wiped at her eyes and sniffled, "thank you Kouta. You're right."

Kouta reached out and pulled Mayu back into his arms, "I know you don't think so right now, but everything is going to be alright Mayu."

"I want to believe you…"

"Then believe me. If I'm wrong, you can always call me a liar. Until then, trust me. We're going to get through this. I know Lucy's still out there somewhere, and Bando probably is too. They'll come back, and we'll get through this together."

Mayu held him more tightly, "alright Kouta. I'll believe you. Lucy's a powerful Diclonius, and Bando's the strongest man I've ever known. He never lets anything stop him. If he would have been there last night, I'm sure he would have found a way to kill that terrible woman."

She said the words as though she genuinely believed them, which she probably did.

"I'd really like to meet Bando someday," Kouta said, "it sounds like he means a lot to you."

"Of course he does, I'm in love with him."

In love? But…

"Mayu…how old is…"

"Kouta," she said in a weary voice, "please don't. I already know it makes others uncomfortable that he's much older than I am. I don't expect anyone else to understand, but please just trust me on this. I know what I'm doing and I know what I feel. So does he. Okay?"

He could hardly argue with her, considering others would condemn his relationship with Lucy on many grounds, if they knew everything she had done. He wasn't sure it was the same however; Mayu was still quite young. Just the same, Mayu had always carried herself in a manner reserved for someone much older than herself. Over the past few months, that manner had developed to a degree which gave Kouta a disarming impression of an adult who lived in a teenager's body. He still found it difficult to believe that Mayu had actually killed a man, though he knew she would not lie about something like that. It wasn't the kind of thing one talked about flippantly, and Mayu was anything but flippant.

"Alright, fair enough," he conceded, "then could you do something for me?"

"What is it?" she asked warily.

"Tell me about him," he said with a smile, "it's clear that you've known him for quite some time, and I understand why you kept that from us. I'd like to know a little more about him if I'm going to be meeting him soon."

She smiled, looking relieved that Kouta was not going to make her explain herself further. Kouta felt satisfied for the moment. At least for right now, he had helped Mayu to chase her heartache away, and that was enough for him. His own, was another matter. While he smiled on the outside, he still suffered deep within. There was no one who could take the pain away but Lucy, and she might never return to him. There was no one who could offer him sweet, hopeful lies of her survival, or impending return. All he had, was the cold, merciless light of truth.

He wanted to believe his own lie, that everything would be alright. Without her, nothing would ever be alright.

_Please come back to me Lucy. I know you're out there hurting, so am I. I can't do this without you, I can't go on without knowing you'll be right next to me. I…_

…_I need you Lucy. Please hear me, wherever you are. I need you. I need you to come back. You're the only thing that matters to me. I can lose everything else, but I can't lose you...  
><em>

_Please…don't leave me…_

* * *

><p>"<em>Please don't leave me…" <em>Nana had whispered often during Daisuke's operation. She now lay on the couch that had been set up against the wall in Daisuke's recovery room.

The operation had been ghastly, and as it had gone on, Nana almost regretted begging them to let her stay and watch in the adjacent room. Daiskue's wounds had been beyond terrible, and had only gotten worse as she had carried him, and Mayu, to the hospital. She had cried the entire way as his body trembled violently from pain and cold as rain slammed cruelly into his open wounds. Occasionally, the anguish would turn into seething hatred for Angel, who had done this to him. Her mind had been filled with dark thoughts of savage vengeance for all the pain she had brought them. She hoped Lucy had made that vile creature beg for her sorry life.

She knew it couldn't have been the case. If Lucy had won, why wasn't she here? Nana hoped that Lucy was not dead, if for no other reason than she was the strongest of them all. She had the best chance of killing Angel. As the thought entered her mind, she instantly felt ashamed that that was all she could think about concerning Lucy's survival. Nana knew that Kouta would be devastated if Lucy died. Only now, did Nana understand the toll that would take on him. She understood it every time she saw Daisuke flatline, and swore that it would be the one he'd never wake up from. The soldiers who had been guarding her during the operation, were uncharacteristically sympathetic as she'd cried for Daisuke. The first time he had flatlined, she had been sitting in a chair, watching through the glass. When the awful, persistent beep came forth from the EKG, she had surged out of her chair, forgetting about the nullifier she wore, and that it prevented her from manipulating her limbs.

She'd fallen heavily to the floor, but was too anguished to feel embarrassed. She merely kept trying to stand, knowing she would be unable, and cried out his name through panicked sobs.

"_Hey…hey!" _one of the soldiers had said, kneeling down next to her and gathering her up, _"you've got to get a grip, you're going to hurt yourself…"_

"_Daisuke! You can't! You can't die!"_

"_LISTEN!" _the man shouted, causing Nana to fall silent. After a few moments of it, Nana realized what it was she was supposed to be listening to. The steady, rhythmic sound of the EKG recording Daisuke's heartbeat. He was still alive!

The man gently lifted her off the floor, and placed her back into her chair.

"_He's gonna make it," _the man said.

Nana had been caught between being grateful for the kindness, and confused as to why they would bother with it. These men were her enemies, her jailors. As she looked at the nameless soldier, another of her guards walked up next to them both, looking out to the operation through the observation glass.

"_Jesus…"_ he whispered, _"Daisuke didn't fuckin deserve that. I don't care what the brass says. It's not like he killed anyone on the way out of the unit."_

"_Yeah," _said the man who had picked her up, _"and she didn't either, when she could have done it, easy."_

The other man turned to regard her, _"no, she didn't. Only guy that got done out there, was on Bando."_

Nana watched them silently, torn between her anxiety for Daisuke, and her curiosity regarding the kindness of her guards. The man who had approached them, spoke to her.

"_You're Nana, right? That's the name they threw around back at the Institute?"_

Nana nodded her head woodenly, and the man spoke again.

"_Daisuke may have abandoned the unit, but he was still one of our guys, one of our brothers. Not easy to see him like this."_

Nana remained silent.

"_You knew what could happen to you if you brought him here, but you did it anyway. Assuming he makes it through the operation, you'll have saved his life. Even if he doesn't, you still tried._"

The thought of Daisuke dying was almost too much to bear. She felt like she was going to start crying again. The soldier's eyes began to dart around, as though he were uncomfortable about something.

"_Hard to believe a Diclonius like yourself could care so much about an Institute soldier. You've got every reason to hate us, or want us dead. But when you came through that door…"_

The man looked around at the other two men who were in the room with her.

"_I think most of us got it. Why Daisuke took the risk he took in defecting over you. Everyone was so twisted up with vengeance against that other one, Number 5, that nobody wanted to admit he might have had a good reason for doing what he did. I didn't want to either."_

"_We're just like you," _Nana said, _"some of us are good, and some of us aren't. I'm one of the good ones. I don't know what else I have to do to make people see that."_

"_Girl, you got a long way to go if you're wanting the world to see what you want them to. But…if it means anything…you should know that the guys here, most of them…"_

He cleared his throat, _"we're grateful for what you did. You risked your ass to save Daisuke, one of us. I'm thinking maybe he was right to take a chance on you."_

At any other time, Nana knew she would feel immense joy at disproving the negative connotations surrounding what she was. Before she ever had a chance to feel the ghost of that joy however, Daisuke had flatlined again, causing Nana to panic once more. She began to surge out of her chair again, but a restraining arm around her chest prevented her from throwing herself onto the floor.

"_He'll pull through! It's going to be alright…"_

"_Noooo! Please don't die!"_

"_Nana, listen to me! You've got to calm down. You're just going to distract the doctors in there. You don't want that do you?"_

Nana turned a desperate gaze upon the man who was holding her still, _"no…"_

"_Technically, you shouldn't even be here. Not because you're a Diclonius, but because doctors can't be bothered with terrified friends and family who have patients in the OR. It prevents them from doing their jobs. You're here because you made a deal. If you're going to stay here, you've got to try and keep yourself together. That's what you can do for him right now. Can you do that?"_

She had ruthlessly reined in her panic, and while she was still shaking, she remained still upon the chair.

"_Y…yes…I…I'll do it…"_

The EKG began to beep again, mercifully. Nana wished she could move her arms to bury her face in her hands as she wept. For once, however, she was glad to be wearing the vector nullifier. Her thrashing would have been so much worse if her vectors had been involved.

Daisuke was resting now, plugged into various machines. He had not required a respirator, due to something they had integrated into his body during surgery. Nana had noticed much of that kind of thing during the operation. It was as though they were reconstructing his insides with bionics of some kind. Even from where Nana was currently lying, she could see evidence of the new machines in his body, just under his skin. She wondered just what they were all for.

Nana still wore the nullifier, but once again, she didn't particularly mind. She was tired from having remained awake through the night, and was probably going to just fall asleep on the couch. Besides, she would have been tempted to disturb his rest with some gesture of physical affection. As much as she longed to feel him next to her, or to kiss him, she did not want that at the cost of his recovery. It was enough for her that Daisuke was alive, and that she was near him.

She wondered what had become of Mayu, and if she was alright. No one had bothered to update her on Mayu's condition, though if she could be honest with herself, she hadn't asked very much. Until recently, she had been preoccupied with watching Daisuke's operation. Now that it seemed he was going to pull through, her worry for Mayu was creeping in and getting worse by the moment. Then there was Kouta and Yuka. Had Angel killed them? Had Lucy gone back there to find their corpses? And what of Lucy? Was she still alive? For all Nana knew, her and Daisuke were all that was left. The thought made her feel sick.

Those thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. As she turned her attention to the sound, the door opened, admitting a man in a lab coat, flanked by two soldiers. The man in the lab coat, who Nana assumed had to be a doctor, walked over to Daisuke, looking him over and looking at the information displayed on the various machines. The soldiers looked over in her direction, one of them actually nodding to her in greeting.

"What's the story doctor?" one of the men asked, "how's he looking?"

"One moment," he replied, examining Daisuke's body more closely, prodding some areas, and holding a small device over him. As he did that, one of the soldiers took a few steps towards Nana, kneeling down so they were at eye level.

"How are you holding up?"

"Better now that Daisuke's out of surgery," Nana replied, "but I'm pretty tired."

"Yeah, I can imagine. You've been up all night."

The doctor turned around to address the soldiers, "it looks good. The bionics appear integrated perfectly to his body. It will take some time for his nervous system to fully integrate with the new prosthetics, and I expect it will be at least another day until the nanomachines are in sync with neurotransmitter production. Until that time, his moods are likely to be somewhat erratic, and he'll likely experience a great deal of confusion. Nothing to worry about however, it's all a normal part of the process. Other than that, he's stabilized."

"Prosthetics?" Nana said aloud, getting his attention, "why…why would he need prosthetics?"

Looking at Daisuke again, she noticed that the flesh of his arms seemed more artificial then they had before. How had she missed that?

"Well," the doctor began, "the gunshot wounds on his arms were some of the worst of his injuries. In many places, the arm was nearly severed. I understand it was rather dark when you brought him here so you may not have noticed right away that his arms were hanging on by threads."

Horror rushed through her. She hadn't realized just how bad his injuries really were. They had seemed horrible enough, but they were actually much worse than that.

"His arms…they were completely destroyed. The worst of the damage was localized just above his elbows. We amputated what was left of them, which wasn't much…"

"Doctor…" one of the soldiers said, stopping him. Nana's breathing had increased, and horror painted her facial expression. She had been watching the operation but hadn't been able to see them actually remove Daisuke's arms, let alone replace them with prosthetics. With a grim humor, she realized that now, they had something else in common.

"We were given the green light to administer some newly developed technology in his prosthetics," the doctor continued, "his new arms are the latest in biotechnology. They're equipped with thousands of sensors that are designed to integrate with his nervous system, and we've injected nanomachines into his system which will assist in the translation of signals from those sensors recorded by the nervous system, to sensory information which will be utilized by his brain."

The doctor took a few steps towards Nana, a measure of pride in his voice, "in other words, he will retain his sense of touch. In a day or two, when the new system completes the process of integration, he won't know he's wearing prosthetics. We should try to avoid disturbing him if we can. He rightly should have been given an additional dose of sedatives to keep him resting, but we weren't sure how his body would react to another dose of it while the nanomachines were being initialized in his body."

Nana looked at Daisuke, hardly believing it. She felt extraordinarily happy for him that while his new arms were prosthetic, he would not ever have to know the anguish of forgetting what it was like to have arms, or to touch something with his hands. Sorrow quickly chased away the joy however, as she still wished she could have been so lucky with her own prosthetics. She couldn't even use them without her vectors. If it were not for those vectors, she would merely be as she was now, a cripple.

"I'm glad," she said, "that he's going to be alright. It's incredible what you've done for him."

The soldiers and the doctor exchanged neutral glances.

"The doctor came in here to look in on Daisuke," one of the soldiers said, "but we're here to relay something. Some orders that got passed down the pipe not long ago."

Nana steeled herself. She knew this was coming. As kind as the soldiers had been to her, they still had a job to do, she was still the enemy, and it was time for her to pay the cost for Mayu and Daisuke's life. She would be going back to that dark, cold, lonely place. She could live with that. As long as her friends had been saved, it would be worth the price.

"Commander appointed a new sergeant, soldier named Takashi. In addition to that, he had a few other things to say. Apparently, Ryota had received a report from Takashi mentioning your presence here. New orders concerning you, are that the hunt is off."

Had she heard him right?

"What?" she asked, blinking in surprise.

"I'm saying, that brass no longer considers you a prisoner. You, Daisuke, or Lucy. Although I don't think too many of us are happy about Lucy's amnesty, you're a different story. You saved Daisuke's life, and that counts for something."

Nana couldn't believe it, and was sure she'd wake up at any moment now. She had been so sure that they were going to bring her back to the facility. Why…

"Why," she asked, "why did they call it off?"

It wasn't that she was not grateful, but she had to know why. It seemed too good to be true. Like there was a catch somewhere.

"The orders were handed down from Director Vanith," he stood up and looked around the room, "and I'll just tell you all in this room, I think there's some serious shit going down."

"What do you mean?" the other soldier asked.

"Ghost just vanished off the radar, but word is that he's actually still at HQ. We suddenly have a new sergeant and then we all got orders to have our radio frequencies changed to a secure line. I haven't been able to raise any squads out in the city."

"Aren't most of those the American troops?"

"Exactly," he said, "I think something's going down, like we're in the middle of an in house thing here."

"No shit…"

"I'm telling you, I've got a bad feeling about all of this. Like we're going to get orders soon to start shooting Westmore's guys."

"Fuck…so what does that mean? We're divided now? What the hell is going on out there?"

So many things seemed like they were out of control. So many people suffering, so many people afraid. Somehow, Nana just knew the real reason why, deep down in her heart, she knew.

"It's her…" she whispered ominously.

The three men looked over towards Nana curiously, "what's that?"

"I just know it," she said, "I don't know why, or how, but somehow I just know she's at the center of it."

"Who is?"

"Angel," Nana said, speaking the name in a contemptuous hiss, "this is all about her. They're afraid of her, and they don't understand her. She's out there, and no one knows what to do. Everybody's afraid because she's out there waiting."

"You're talking about Number 5, aren't you?"

She nodded, "she's the one who hurt Daisuke," she said, hatred twisting her voice into a snarl, "she hurt my friends, my family. She's sick, evil. This has to be about her. If she were dead…maybe this would all stop."

She knew it wasn't as simple as that, but Nana wanted her to die. She had never felt such enduring, piercing hatred for anyone or anything in her whole life. As that thought had crossed her mind, she realized that she knew what the catch was for not being a prisoner of the Institute anymore.

"They want us to stop her," Nana said absently, "that's it, I'm sure of it. They can't do it themselves, so they want Lucy and I to do it. That's why they took back the order to capture us."

Nana couldn't help but feel disgusted at the revelation. Papa had sent her to do that very thing when Lucy had escaped. For perhaps the first time ever, Nana felt true, and deep anger towards Kurama at how she had been blatantly used by him. It had never mattered to her before, but things were different now. She, was different now.

It appeared, however, that some things were still the same. The Institute was still resorting to pitting the Diclonius against one another. It didn't matter though. Angel had to pay for what she had done. The Institute wouldn't need to ask that of her, and she wasn't going to be doing it for them.

But how was she supposed to fight a creature like Angel? She had been so strong and fast. How could she stop a monster like that? Maybe Lucy could do it. Lucy was stronger than Nana was, and had much more fighting experience. If anyone could face Angel, Lucy could. That was, of course, if she were still alive.

"I hate to say it," one of the soldiers said, "but I think you might be right about that. That monster has killed everyone else who tried, and brass is getting desperate."

He pointed up to the ceiling, "desperate enough to use Red Sky…I don't know if you understand what…"

"I know what Red Sky is," Nana said, "I also know it's not going to work. That's why they need us."

Nana closed her eyes, feeling a sense of doom all around her. She wondered if any of them would survive what was sure to come. A city full of frightened, desperate people, an unstoppable killer in their midst, and if what the soldier had been talking about earlier was true, a war was on the horizon between the remaining soldiers of the Institute. She despaired, knowing that more pain waited for her in the coming days. She opened her eyes, and looked over towards Daisuke. It seemed so unfair. She had only just experienced what it was like to have feelings for another man, and to have those feelings returned. A few, short, sweet moments were all she'd had. Then the pain came rushing back into her life like an old friend, or a familiar enemy.

She'd get those moments back. She had to believe that.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she swore she'd seen Daisuke stir, as though he were in pain. The other men in the room seemed not to notice, and were preparing to leave as they talked amongst themselves. The soldier who had spoken to Nana before, broke away from the group and turned to Nana.

"We have to go now, still some things…"

"Wait…I," she cleared her throat, "could I ask a favor of you? Well, two of them really, and I'm sorry if it seems like I'm asking too much, but…"

She wanted to go to Daisuke. He was going to wake soon, she just knew it. And even if he didn't, she still wanted to get closer to him. She wanted to see what had been done to him.

"I want this off," she said, indicating the vector nullifier, "I want to stand up, and I can't do it without…my…"

The men looked at one another for a moment, asking silent questions, before returning their gazes to Nana.

"I'm not sure if…"

"Trust me," Nana said, "Daisuke trusted me. He knew he could, and so can you."

After a few moments of uncertainty, the soldier who had been speaking, slowly walked towards her.

"I just know I'm going to regret this. Ryota's going to have my balls…but," he reached behind Nana's head, "I'll take that chance. You took a bigger one coming here, and I think you're right about what brass expects. I think they're hoping you'll help us take that fucking monster down. I can't imagine they'd want you running around shackled if you're supposed to be saving our asses."

With a click, and the sound of a small electrical device powering down, the signal that distracted her from calling the vectors, went away. Her mind felt like it was breathing a sigh of relief as she took control of her prosthetic limbs, rising to her feet. For a small moment, she swore she felt the presence of another mind out there, searching. Almost as soon as she'd felt it, it vanished, making her think it was simply her imagination.

"Thank you," Nana said, "I hope this doesn't cause you much trouble."

"Eh, if it does, it can go on the massive shitpile of it that already exists."

"Just one more favor then?"

"As long as it doesn't involve leaving the hospital. I have to insist you stay in this building, at least until either Ryota, or Takashi return. Or Vanith I suppose…"

"I'm not going anywhere," she said, turning towards Daisuke for a moment, before turning back to the soldier, "I…came in here with another girl. She was shot too, and I really want to know if she's ok."

"I know who you're talking about. I can find that out for you, and give you the room number as well, once I find out where she's recovering."

"Thank you so much um…" how rude of her, she hadn't asked his name.

"Tenchi," he said, "name's Tenchi."

He gave her a casual smile, before leaving the room. The doctor was the last one out, shutting the door gently behind him. When they had all left the room, Nana turned back towards Daisuke's bed, and stood by him. She let her eyes travel over his body, seeing the ghost of circuitry just under the skin of his arms. The scars on his chest were in precise lines and patterns from where bullets had been removed, and other devices implanted. His breathing was steady, and even, and it seemed astonishing to Nana that he had not required a breathing machine after he was released from surgery. It also astonished her that such wonderful, and amazing things came from a place which also harbored evil, and horror.

She reached out with one of her arms, trailing a finger down the length of Daisuke's new prosthetic arm. If he had been awake right now, he wouldn't feel the touch anymore than she did. She wondered how he would feel about that. Nana hadn't felt much about it in the beginning, expecting to be killed anyway. After she had woken up on the beach, she just remembered feeling frightened and helpless, not knowing how to control her limbs right away. She had literally relearned how to walk. She was glad that Daisuke would be spared that horror. By the time he awoke, his new limbs would be fully functional. He would feel the sensation of touch again, but she never would.

Never? She wondered if they could do for her, what they had done for Daisuke. It had looked like a dangerous operation, and what she had seen of it, frightened her. She had understood that Daisuke was undergoing an operation which was still very much in an experimental phase and that surgery could have gone either way. While it angered her that they had been so quick to play with Daisuke's life that way, in the name of research, she was still glad it had worked. So could it work for her? Could she take that risk as well?

Her hand rested upon Daisuke's arm, but she couldn't quite remember what it would have felt like to feel the sensation of touch through a hand. Was it all signals and nerves? What if she had forgotten what it was like to experience touch through a pair of hands? Was the memory important so that the connections could be made in her mind? Her Diclonius brain was different from a human's. Would that make a difference as well?

She wasn't sure that risking her life for the chance to have arms and legs that could experience touch, was worth it, but it was hard to weigh that risk objectively in her mind, with hope dangling right in front of her. Despite the risks, the possibility still existed, and Nana was sorely tempted to find out if she could be allowed to receive a similar operation. Though she had largely gotten used to her prosthetics, she still occasionally felt like a crippled marionette dangling on the strings of her vectors. When they put the vector nullifier on her, she was almost nothing more than a puppet with the strings cut. She always hated how helpless that made her feel. She wanted to be whole again. Maybe, that was actually possible.

Daisuke stirred again, appearing to be in some measure of pain or discomfort. She hoped he wasn't waking up somehow. So soon after surgery, she was sure that his agony would be intolerable. It worried her that he seemed to be in pain, even though he was being administered a painkiller to keep him from waking due to the pain. What could be wrong with him?

"Daisuke," she whispered, "everything's going to be ok. I'm right here with you."

He seemed to relax as she spoke. Could he hear her somehow? Maybe he was lost in some terrible dream, but could still hear her speaking. It seemed silly to think that was true, but she wanted to believe it. She wanted to believe there was something she could do to ease his pain.

"Can you hear me Daisuke?" she whispered again, carefully resting her hand upon his face, wishing she could feel it, and hoping he could, "I'm not leaving you. I'll stay right here and I'll be the first thing you see when you open your eyes. I promise."

She did want to see Mayu, she really did. She wanted to see Kouta, Yuka, and Lucy, but she meant what she said about staying with Daisuke. As she watched him visibly relax, she swore that she was going to keep that promise. It was so strange, how her feelings for this man so easily eclipsed everything else. It almost seemed…wrong. She couldn't help herself though; Nana was drawn to him by so powerful a force it was impossible to fight it, and she didn't want to.

What she wanted, was for him to wake up.

"I know you can hear me," she whispered, closing her eyes, "so I'm not leaving you alone here."

_No matter what happens, I won't leave you…_

_You wouldn't leave me…_

* * *

><p>"You wouldn't leave me…would you?" Yuka wondered aloud. The sound of her voice was carried away on the cold wind.<p>

She sat upon the hospital's steps outside, staring blankly in front of her as people came and went. She vaguely registered the single soldier who was standing just in her view, likely to prevent her from leaving. She had figured out rather quickly once her and Kouta had arrived that they would not be allowed to leave. It was all the same to her; this was where she wanted to be right now anyway.

However, she had needed some time away from Kouta. She still wasn't sure how she felt about him now, except that she didn't want him to leave. It didn't quite make sense to her. She was furious with him beyond the power of words to describe, and even felt disgusted, but despite that, she just couldn't let him go. It was frustrating trying to figure out why she still felt that way. She thought she hated Kouta more for that, than for the secret he had kept from her for so long.

So she had come outside to think. The cold air stung and the moisture in the air was severely uncomfortable for it, but it was better than the suffocating feeling from being inside with all of those soldiers milling about. She was angry with them too, mostly for not allowing them to see Nana and that poor man Daisuke. Before Angel had come to destroy their lives, it had been heartwarming to watch Nana interact with him throughout the course of that day. If he died here, Nana would be devastated, and she didn't deserve that after all she had been through. None of them deserved what happened to them.

Hatred for Angel was mixed with guilt for having allowed her to talk Yuka into her foolish attempt at coming on to Kouta. Yuka had been an accomplice to Angel as she'd played her cruel game on them all. Her guilt was made all the more complicated because through Angel, Yuka had finally gotten the truth Kouta and Lucy had been keeping from her. Angel had been the one to revel the true identity of her uncle, and other cousin's murderer. If Angel had managed to kill Lucy last night, that would also mean their deaths were avenged. A part of her, deep down, was thankful for that, and would be thankful if she had torn Lucy to shreds. Not thankful enough to silence the hatred, but just the same, Yuka would not have had the truth, or Lucy's death, without Angel. Yuka wanted to believe that Lucy was dead, but somehow she just knew that Lucy had to have survived. Yuka understood just how powerful Lucy was. She would not be so easily killed in a fight.

She buried her head in her hands. How could Kouta have protected her? How could he have fallen in love with her? It made absolutely no sense, why didn't Kouta hate Lucy as much as she did? All this time, he had known. How could he have loved that woman who had shattered his mind and torn apart his life? Yuka wondered what was so wrong with her that Kouta chose Lucy instead. Now she couldn't help but wonder that if Lucy were still out there, would Kouta walk away from his family, to be with Lucy? How deeply did his feelings for Lucy really go? She thought she had known Kouta. She hated not knowing what he would choose, yet at the same time, being almost sure of it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching from somewhere behind her, then stopping. Silence followed, and Yuka didn't have to turn around to know who was standing there. She let the silence stretch while she searched for something to say, some way to connect with this alien presence whom she never really knew. At least not the way she had always imagined she did. After a time, she finally spoke.

"Make me understand," she said in a voice devoid of emotion. She had bled it all out the night before, and throughout the course of the afternoon.

"I don't think I can," came Kouta's voice from behind her, "I don't know how to explain it…"

"How dare you," she said quietly, and vehemently, "how dare you let her into our home. How dare you let us care about her, take care of her, protect her. How dare you give comfort and shelter to your family's murderer."

_How dare you love her, and not me…_

"Tell me this," Yuka said, the ghost of anger returning to her voice, "how can you sit in that room? How can you sit there with Mayu and pretend her life matters to you when you let her live with that monster?"

"Yuka…"

"How can you stand there right now and talk to me? It's not like my life matters to you anymore than Mayu's life, or Nana's."

"Of course your lives matter to me, how can you say that?"

"How?" Yuka said, turning around to stare at Kouta who stood at the top step, one hand on the railing, a look of resignation in his eyes, "you knew what Lucy had done, and you knew what she was capable of. You kept that from all of us, and risked all our lives on the chance that Lucy wouldn't do to us what she did to uncle and Kanae. You made that decision for us, thinking only of yourself."

Yuka slowly stood up and glared at Kouta, despising him for his lie…

…but even more for loving Lucy instead of her.

"You're wrong Yuka," Kouta said in a quiet voice, "I was thinking about Lucy as well."

She wanted to slap him, "so you admit you weren't thinking about us then? You're such a bastard Kouta…"

"I'm always thinking about you all," he said, "I think all the time about what I can do to protect and care for you. I'm always thinking about what I would do if our pasts came back to haunt us. I think about what I'd do if Mayu's stepfather suddenly decided to come looking for Mayu again. I thought a lot about what I could do if the Institute came looking for Nana again. And I thought about you too Yuka. You can't imagine how many nights I had lain awake wondering what would happen if you ever knew the truth about Lucy. Even before Lucy came back, I struggled with telling you that I had once been friends with her. Above all, I thought about where they had come from, and where I had come from. We had all been given a second chance at our lives: me, Mayu, Nana, and now Lucy. It made all the difference, for all of us."

Kouta's eyes lowered to the ground, "doesn't seem right does it? That it's lies that gave us all those second chances? Lies to other people, to each other, to ourselves. Seems like all the truth has done so far, is tear us apart."

He sighed, "do you ever wonder why no one prays for the devil? Even though he's the one sinner who needed it most? What do you think he'd do with a second chance?" **(*******)**

"Kouta, that's a stretch and you know it."

"Maybe…"

Kouta stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned against the railing, looking up to the ominous red and gray sky.

"I knew a different side of Lucy back then. That person could never be so cruel as to so carelessly take life…"

"But she did Kouta. She killed people close to us…"

"Because she was taught to resolve her anguish and pain that way. When we're children, we do as we're told and we do as we're taught. We don't think about consequence because we aren't developed enough to understand the ramifications of our actions. What we knew as children, was the here, and now."

"So you think that gives Lucy the right to just kill people? Because she didn't understand what she was doing?" something else occurred to her, "those people at the carnival that died. That was her too…wasn't it?"

Yuka raised a hand to her hair, gripping a fistful of it, "that monstrous bitch…"

She saw Kouta's eyes tighten as she'd said the word, but he did not chastise her for saying it. She almost wanted to dare him to do it.

"No," he said, "it doesn't give her the right to do that. She bears the responsibility for what she's done, and I can tell you that she isn't hiding from that responsibility…"

"…then she should take her own life…" Yuka spat.

"And what does that solve Yuka?" Kouta said angrily, "what good does that do? Let's say you have it your way, and Lucy dies. What then? It won't bring father and Kanae back. It won't right those wrongs. It'll be just one more corpse in the world that will never have a chance to earn atonement, and never bring anything of worth to anyone. Lucy is NOT an unrepentant monster goddamn it!"

Kouta ran his hands through his hair, taking a moment to visibly calm himself before continuing, "she lives with the guilt everyday Yuka. Every single goddamn day she's living with it. I've lost count of the times she's cried, telling me she wishes she could take it back, but you know what? Lucy still gets up everyday, and faces it. She faces it, and looks after us. She's protected us almost from the beginning, and continues to risk her own life for us…"

"We wouldn't need 'protection' if she had never come into our lives, and if you hadn't let her back into yours."

"Maybe not," he said sadly, "but how could I turn away from her?"

"Because she killed your father, and Kanae!"

"Do you really think I wasn't angry about that? That I didn't feel what you're feeling now? Of COURSE I did!"

Kouta took a few steps towards Yuka, who backed up to maintain the distance. She wasn't sure if she'd physically strike him, or stupidly break down and rush into his arms…the son of a bitch…

Kouta stopped moving towards Yuka once he realized she was trying to keep away from him, "Lucy bears the responsibility for her actions, but not the blame. She didn't know what she was doing, she was only a child who was taught to respond to emotional pain, with violence. Can you imagine what it would be like if you were her? I'd imagine it was probably a lot like sleepwalking, only to wake up with blood on your hands and bodies at your feet. That's what she's been carrying inside knowing that there wouldn't be a goddamn soul on this earth who would understand, or give her comfort."

Kouta pointed at his own chest, "but I can, and I will. I will because I loved the girl behind the killer who stole her life as well as those lives she took. I love her now. She used her second chance to become a wonderful, beautiful, and strong woman who cares deeply for us all, and has fought tooth and nail for us. She's become a person who values human life, and has fought to protect it. I will be there for her the way I was there for Mayu, and Nana, and everyone who came to our doorstep in suffering."

"Like Angel?" Yuka hissed, "that grotesque creature that Lucy brought home? The blood is on both their hands."

"Damn you Yuka, Lucy couldn't have known what she was like. None of us could have. You have no right to lay that at Lucy's feet. The fault is Angel's alone."

"I have every right!" Yuka shouted, causing people nearby to take notice of them. Yuka didn't care, "Mayu was nearly killed! And what about that man who was protecting Nana? Daisuke? For all we know, he's dead! Lucy gambled with our lives the way you gambled with them by bringing Lucy home. Neither of you had a right to do that to us, so don't you dare tell me what I have the right to do now that her gamble caused us so much pain!"

Kouta shook his head, "Yuka, I won't abandon Lucy. She didn't abandon us. Despite everything you're saying right now, the only reason you're alive to say it, is because of Lucy. Never forget that. She's more than earned the right to forgiveness."

"Not from me she hasn't."

Kouta sighed, and looked away from her, "then I guess you've made your decision on this…"

An ember of panic flared up inside of Yuka at his tone of voice when he said the words, "and you've made yours?"

Kouta had turned away from Yuka to walk inside, but he paused when she'd replied to him. He was silent for a few moments before speaking again, without turning around.

"I made that decision a long time ago Yuka. If she's still out there, I'm going to find her, and stand by her. Even if no one else will…I will…"

He turned halfway around to look at her, "She would do it for me."

He turned around and walked back inside the hospital. Yuka could only stare at him, angry tears in her eyes. Why couldn't he see? Why couldn't he understand that Lucy did not deserve forgiveness? Least of all from him? She simply could not accept Kouta's explanation that Lucy hadn't understood the ramifications of her actions, being so young, and growing up in an atmosphere of pain. The circumstances of her childhood may have been something to mourn, but excuses could not bring back the dead. The reality was that Lucy had killed people, and she did not deserve to live on, or receive any measure of happiness when her victims never would. Kouta didn't know what he was saying…

…that was it wasn't it?

For years, Kouta had been mentally traumatized because of the murders he had witnessed. Even when he was still suffering from his amnesia, there were periods where he didn't seem to know himself, the people around him, or even where he was. Kouta had developed a myriad of mental defense mechanisms to protect himself from the truth. Now that amnesia was out of the question, was it possible that he had simply developed another defense mechanism to protect his psyche against the reality of Lucy's crimes? The revelation cast Kouta's actions in a whole new light, and Yuka found herself almost weak with relief. It wasn't over; Kouta was not lost to her. He had to still be suffering from the mental trauma, and with Lucy in such close proximity to him, what else could he do but try to justify her actions?

Yuka clenched her fists. He could still be saved, it wasn't too late. If Lucy was dead, would Kouta wake from his nightmare at long last?

She shivered from the cold as she stared without seeing. Her entire being was swept up in a single hope: Lucy's death could save Kouta and bring him back to her. If Lucy was indeed still alive, and out there somewhere, Yuka had no idea how she could kill Lucy. Obviously a straightforward approach would be out of the question, but there HAD to be another way.

She mentally shook herself; what was she thinking? Kill? Was she seriously thinking about killing someone? Even someone as terrible as Lucy? No…she couldn't. She just couldn't go through with something like that. She couldn't imagine bringing herself to take a life, she wasn't like Lucy. But what if she had a chance? Could she do it for Kouta?

"_She would do it for me…"_

Could she do any less?

Later, she'd think more about this later. Right now, she was feeling dizzy, likely catching a cold. She began to walk back into the hospital. No matter what she chose to do, or not do, she resigned herself to the fact that she would have to get close to Lucy somehow, and that meant staying close to Kouta. Despite how she was feeling, Yuka couldn't deny that Kouta was still the most important thing to her in life. She would do anything for him.

…anything

As she walked back into the hospital, a sight in the distance caught her eye. Turning her head, she saw numerous columns of colored smoke rising into the sky from the direction of the bay. It looked like smoke flares, but Yuka couldn't imagine why someone would drop so many in one place.

Whatever was going on over there, she was glad it wasn't anywhere near them…

The distant sound of gunfire made her twitch.

* * *

><p><strong>(***) - This line of dialogue was paraphrased from a Mark Twain quote which reads: "But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?"<strong>

**Note: the above quote, and line of dialogue, are not meant to, and do not, reflect any religious views on my part.  
><strong>


	37. Adversary

"What…the fuck…happened here?"

Bando stared open mouthed at the carnage sprawled out before him. It was a grisly picture of a vicious battle; vehicles were overturned, in flames, or both, and soldiers lay dead everywhere from various types of wounds. Many were shot, while some looked to have been stabbed or sliced apart, while still others clearly had been torn apart by anti personnel explosives. It was difficult to see very well due to the residual smoke from the flares that were all over the ground. The hanging smoke gave the burning vehicles a ghostly presence. It was like a dream of Hell.

"Oh my god…" came a horrified whisper at his side. Arakawa stepped past him to survey the scene with hands over her mouth. Bando felt rather uneasy, as though they had only just missed the catastrophe that befell the soldiers.

Bando could still smell the gunpowder in the air; thick, and fresh as if the battle had only ended moments ago. As he and Arakawa had approached the column of smoke, they had heard the gunfire and the explosions, though they had silenced bit by bit as they got closer. At any other time, Bando would have given the situation a very wide berth. However, the destruction was perilously close to Maple Inn, which had compelled him to investigate. He had hoped Mayu and her family had not been caught in that, or God forbid, the cause of it.

He had made good on his word to release the helicopter pilot that had taken them to the mainland. However, as they'd reached the shore, they found JSDF patrols were already present in the area. The sight of the helicopter had drawn them to investigate, which necessitated a quick flight to the city proper, losing their pursuers quickly in side streets and alleyways. They had seen the smoke column in the sky as they had flown in, and continued to see it as they evaded capture from JSDF. It had stretched to the dark sky ominously, drawing him ever closer towards it as though fate had built roads that led only to its dark center. Now that he and Arakawa had reached the source, the smoke was starting to clear somewhat from its thick miasma, into wisps that resembled fog. It still obscured sight in many places except the area immediately surrounding them, and the atmosphere made for an unsettling one when coupled with the dark sky above, streaked with a violent shade of red. The color was starting to obscure the pale glow of the sun, causing it to paint much of the sky in an orange tint. By tomorrow, that shade of orange would turn more red, and cover the entire skyline. Bando didn't want to imagine the general panic that would ensue at the sight of what would surely be the darkest dawn anyone had ever seen.

_As above, so below,_ Bando thought cynically as he observed the blood on the street that streaked in all directions.

"Didn't think the fighting would start already," Bando mused, "but something's not…"

He walked forward, into the wreckage and strewn bodies.

"Could this be Ryota?" Arakawa asked, "making his move against the Institute?"

From the tone of her voice, Bando knew Arakawa didn't really believe that could possibly be the case. After a closer examination, Bando knew it wasn't either.

"No, definitely not," he said, "these men aren't Institute soldiers. They're JSDF. This looks like it was a supply convoy."

"JSDF? The Institute is killing Japanese soldiers?"

"Akane, I don't think the Institute was involved in this."

He motioned to the dead, "look at the bodies. They are only JSDF. Where are the bodies of their opponents? If this had been an attack by Institute soldiers, there would be at least a few of them dead here as well. JSDF are trained fighters. They wouldn't have gone down without taking a few with them."

Bando had also hoped these men had been killed in conventional warfare. The gaping slash wounds on many of the dead told him a different story, and gave him a pretty good idea on what it was that had killed them. Dread began to settle in the pit of his stomach.

"Bando!" Arakawa called out from somewhere farther ahead, obscured by the smoke. She must have walked past him while he was lost in thought.

"What is it?" he asked, moving towards the sound. As he walked through a thick column of smoke, he saw her kneeling down next to one of the fallen men. He seemed to be moving somewhat, and the illumination from a nearby burning truck allowed Bando to see the terrified spark in his eyes.

"Still alive," she gasped, somewhat breathless, "this man is still alive, but he's hurt bad."

Getting closer, Bando could see that she was right. The wounded soldier lay flat on his back, clutching a terrible stomach wound that was seeping thick gouts of blood. The soldier's face was set in a constant grimace of pain and Bando knew from the moment he laid eyes on the man, that he was dying. There was nothing they could do except stay with him until the end, which was likely minutes away.

Bando slowly approached the man, and knelt down beside him, opposite Arakawa.

"Christ," he whispered vehemently. The man's eyes lit with a sense of hope that Bando didn't understand.

"You…an…officer?" he choked out, blood draining from his mouth. Bando understood the hope now, as he was still wearing his stolen Institute tactical gear. It identified him as a superior to this man, who was taking whatever comfort he could at the appearance of what he perceived as a superior officer. Bando wasn't about to correct his error. The man was dying, and the least Bando could do, was offer the comfort of the lie.

"Yes," Bando replied, "I'm with a scouting squad to assess the situation. Report soldier, what the hell happened here? Are there any other survivors?"

"No…", he coughed up blood and more poured from his belly wound, "no survivors…everyone…they're all dead…everyone's dead sir…"

Bando saw Arakawa reach into her jacket and retrieved a small box, Bando focused on the man again.

"How? What happened here?"

Arakawa opened the box and removed a syringe in a package, as well as a small bottle. Removing the syringe, she filled it with the liquid in the bottle and began searching for a vein in the man's arm.

"What are you doing Akane?"

"Morphine," she said, "took it from the lab…it's…the least I can do."

He knew she had been about to say, "all I can do". Which would have been the truth, but the soldier didn't need to hear that. The effects of the morphine were almost instantaneous once Arakawa injected it into the man's arm. His breathing began to even out somewhat, and Bando hoped that the man would be able to keep his senses long enough to tell him what happened.

"We were…moving out," the man began, "to resupply the delivery team…"

Delivery team?

"…when the trucks stopped for some reason. Sergeant had given the order. Said there was someone in the road who looked like they had been attacked."

He took a few breaths before continuing, "I was in the third troop transport from the front so I saw her. Woman with light red hair, but it was all messed up, like she'd been thrown around…"

"Jesus…" Bando whispered. It was exactly as he'd feared.

"…and she wore a black dress, but it was torn to shreds on her. Dried blood all over her arms and legs, some on her face. We thought maybe some citizens were running amok, panicked due to the lockdown. Thought she was a victim."

He tried to raise his head, presumably to look at his stomach wound. Bando pushed his head back down gently.

"Just take it easy," he said, "what happened next?"

"The sergeant got off his truck and went to get her off the street and into one of our trucks for the hospital. It was just him out there with her so we couldn't hear what they were saying. He just stood there a second while she spoke to him. When he backed up a step, I could see it…she…was smiling."

He paused again as a wave of pain swept through him. Bando knew nothing less than a constant morphine drip would have fought back the pain sufficiently, but this was the best they could do. The man went on after it had passed.

"Sergeant went for his gun, and…Christ, it happened so fast. She hit him in the throat…barely saw her arm move. Then she ripped the pistol right from his belt and shot him in the face. She was heading for us before anyone even thought to raise a weapon. I've…I never saw anyone run so fast in my life. It was so unreal."

"She was a Diclonius," Bando said, "I assume you were briefed?"

"Just on what they looked like and that they were dangerous…never told us…why…they were…dangerous…"

"Keep talking, what happened then? You fought her?"

The man let out a bitter laugh.

"Fight? Some of us fired on her but she was like the…fucking…wind. Couldn't keep track of her. She was everywhere, firing that pistol and just killing people until it ran out of bullets. By that time, she'd gotten hold of another pistol, and a rifle. Using our vehicles as cover…she was…almost invisible. Didn't see when she'd gotten…into the truck with the flares…"

Bando understood, "that's why there's all this smoke. She threw them everywhere didn't she? For cover?"

He nodded his head weakly, "couldn't…see a fucking thing. After that, it was just fear. Everywhere. She'd come out of the smoke like…a fucking…child's…nightmare. Dragging people away…all you could hear were screams. Didn't see a gun in her hand anymore, just a big…knife."

So this was Angel. This was how she fought. Hearing the man's story chilled Bando all the way through to his core. He wasn't sure he would have stood the ghost of a chance against a monster like that. Lucy had been bad enough. In his mind, there hadn't been anything worse. Obviously, he had been wrong.

"Everyone started…shooting…all over the place…into the smoke," he said through a mouthful of blood, "we were scared…didn't know where she was, couldn't see her. Couldn't see anything. Just knew people were dying. Heard explosions…think she was throwing grenades…some people were firing RPGs…or maybe it was…her."

That accounted for all the gunshot wounds on many of the soldiers. They had shot one another unknowingly in the panic. Bando stopped him.

"Alright…that's enough."

"I was the…last one….fucking pissed myself…" he said, tears falling from his face, "you won't…tell…anyone…"

"Never happened," Bando said solemnly.

"She walked up out of the smoke, that knife in her hand…she was covered in blood…she…"

"Stop," Bando said, "that's enough, you don't have to…"

"Begged her…said I wanted to go home…she looked at me and…said…"

The life finally began to leave him, his breathing becoming slower, his eyelids beginning to droop, his fingers slackening.

"She said, 'no…escape…'"

His breathing finally stopped, his eyes only half closed. His face was fixed in a grotesque mask of suffering and the blood on his lips was already drying except for a single stream that ran down his cheek, and dripped onto the asphalt. When Bando looked up, he saw that Arakawa was crying silently.

"Akane…"

"That fucking monster…I'd only heard about the things she's done…but to see it…"

"We have to get out of here. There will be another squad coming here to investigate. We can't be here when they arrive."

She closed the soldiers eyes before standing up, staining her hand with his blood. When she saw it, she absently wiped it onto her pants, staining them as well.

"Bando," she said, "I know we're fighting these men…"

"I know," he said, "no one deserves to die like this. They died as scared victims, not as men. Not as warriors."

She nodded her head.

"I'm going to Maple Inn," he said, "this was too close to their home, I can actually see it from here. I have to do this Akane."

"I know," she replied, "I…actually want to stay here a few minutes."

"Are you insane?"

"Just…something he said bothered me. His comment about a delivery team."

Bando huffed, "caught your attention too huh?"

"I want to see if I can find something here to explain his comment. It won't take long."

As reluctant as he was to let Akane stay in this terrible place by herself, his desire to check on Maple Inn overrode his objections.

"Alright, but be fast," he said, "I'll be heading to that building…"

He had pointed in its direction, but for some reason he couldn't really see it now that he was looking for it. He knew he was in the right place, so where…

"Which building?" she asked.

"Down that pathway, there's a building halfway down, to the right. You'll know it when you see it. I'll be there."

Bando turned from Arakawa, and began making his way quickly through the scene of carnage. The walls of violence felt like they were closing tightly around him the entire way through, and even after he had left it behind, he could still feel their choking embrace.

The feeling was becoming less comfortable to him, and more alien than he had ever remembered in his life.

* * *

><p>Lucy almost couldn't bring herself to open the sliding door, her hand pausing on the handle, her breath caught in her lungs.<p>

She stood alone, desiring such solitude in revisiting the scene of what competed for the worst moment of her life. Even if Takashi would have insisted in standing at her side, the sight of the smoke column in the distance had worried him enough that he likely would have chosen to investigate regardless. That was what he was currently doing, having left Lucy at the steps of Maple Inn at her insistence. Even though she had desired solitude, the absence of his company left Lucy feeling lost and alone. Especially here. Especially now.

She closed her eyes and let the breath out slowly, sliding the door open to the courtyard.

One of the trees in the yard had fallen as the fire had spread to its branches. It appeared that the rain had not been enough to protect it from being ignited, but it seemed to be the only tree that had sustained any damage. The courtyard itself was largely untouched, and if Lucy tried hard enough to ignore everything else in her sight, she could imagine that nothing terrible had ever befallen this place. But she couldn't ignore it.

Before her, was the sight of the ruined house, charred black from the fire, and collapsed in on itself in many places. Much of the roof was still standing, but it seemed little more than a mockery, pretending to stand when everything else around it was consumed by devastation. Lucy felt the sight morbidly fitting. The home before her stood as ruined as the sense of home in her heart. As the wind blew, it carried off a little more of that crumbling ruin, causing small areas of the house to further collapse with furtive sounds. Each one of those sounds sliced her heart. No matter what anyone said to her, she could not make herself believe that this wasn't all her fault. Now that she was standing in front of the result of her presence in Kouta's life, it was difficult to deny her responsibility for it.

She walked towards the house; the sounds of crunching rocks filling the ghostly silence. As she moved closer, she could see various suitcases, and bags that had placed outside the front door. They had been all but ready to leave. Had they been waiting for her to arrive? What if she had chosen to return home sooner instead of seeking out Vanith? It was yet another terrible decision that had cost those she loved dearly.

Lucy was really trying hard to put things in perspective, but it seemed so difficult to do that. Takashi had tried equally hard to take her mind off of the things that were consuming her mind and heart. She was thankful for that, even if he had been ultimately unsuccessful. She had felt somewhat unwilling to let him go alone to investigate the smoke column's source, but her all consuming thoughts had overridden her concerns. She felt somewhat guilty about that, but knew Takashi could take care of himself. She had needed to come alone.

She knelt down before one of the bags that she knew belonged to Mayu, trailing a finger through the ashes that had collected on top of it. Maybe she'd take a few of these bags back with her to the hospital. She was sure there were things within them that the others had to be missing.

She looked up, and into the house. Cold light pierced through the holes in the roof, and gave a haunting illumination of the house within. Beyond the blades of pale light, there was only darkness. The once warm hallways, now were empty, silent, and ruined. Ashes constantly flaked off of the walls and floor as the wind sliced through the house, creating an aura of swirling ash that rose and fell like snow adrift in the winter air. Some of those ashes brushed her cheek and became lost in her hair, coming forth from the gaping maw of the dead house. Brown leaves swirled around her when the wind came up with strength, and provided the only sound that could be heard. It was an earthy whisper, which seemed more to Lucy like a dying breath.

"I'm sorry," Lucy whispered quietly into the air, "I'm sorry for everything."

This was her life. Ever seeking forgiveness and redemption. She was so tired of the struggle in that moment. She almost wanted someone to just…

"It would have been so easy," came a voice from behind her, "so…fucking easy."

That voice. She knew that voice.

She stood up quickly and turned around to stare into a familiar face she hadn't seen in a very long time.

"You," she whispered vehemently.

It was him, that S.A.T. soldier who had hunted her last year. He was standing there with pistol drawn, aimed directly at her. He looked a lot different than she'd remembered. His hair had grown longer, partially covering his eyes and was nearly jaw length. The hair was set in a rugged appearance as though it had never known a comb. That rugged appearance was furthered by the hard set in his jaw and eyes, as though he had been born with a scowl. He was dressed in Institute tactical gear, worn over a shirt and pair of jeans. As Lucy studied him, she realized it wasn't just his appearance that made him seem different. There was something different in his eyes as well.

"Yeah," he said tersely, "me."

He stepped forward twice, his gun still raised. She called her vectors, preparing to defend herself.

"Guess you were wrong huh?" he said, "saying that we had seen one another for the last time. Here we are again Lucy."

"Yeah," she said darkly, "here we are again."

They stood across from one another, the tension thick and the silence deafening. Neither spoke for a long while. His finger hovered over the trigger, and her vectors stood poised to deliver killing blows, all at a moment's notice. If this man came at her as he had done before, she would show him no mercy this time. Frankly, she was dying for an excuse to take her anguish out on someone. Violently.

"I almost shot you," he said, "thinking you were the other one. Frankly, I almost shot you once I realized it was you…Lucy."

"Then why didn't you? I had no idea you were there, you could have killed me."

The ghost of a smile appeared on his face before it vanished again, "yeah…I could have."

He fell silent as they watched one another. Lucy felt that she should be trying to attack him right now, but something was off. Something that nagged at the corner of her mind that gave her pause. After a few moments, Bando lowered the gun, and put it into a holster.

"But that's not how our story ends Lucy. Not like that. Not with you never knowing it was coming. Fuckin disgraceful."

"Don't talk to me about honor you S.A.T. pig," she spat. It felt good to take out her anger on someone who deserved it. Frankly, he deserved a lot more than harsh words, but still she stayed her hand. Why was he here?

She saw him look up at the house, and close his eyes. She recognized the look on his face as one of worry and pain. It couldn't be. Was this man…?

"I don't suppose you know if anyone survived here," the man asked in a quiet voice, "do you?"

She could see him bracing for the worst. It was clear to her that he had cared about someone here, just as she had cared about everyone here…

"You," she said, "you're Bando. Aren't you?"

He gave her a look which confirmed her suspicion. THIS was Bando? Fate had an interesting sense of humor. One of her worst enemies, had unknowingly been one of her family's greatest allies.

Bando sighed and opened his eyes, "Lucy, I know we still have a score to settle, but please. Just answer me…"

"They're all alive," she said quickly.

"Mayu?" he asked, as Lucy knew he would.

"She was hurt, but is going to be ok. They're all at Kamakura Hospital."

He breathed a sigh of relief as he surveyed the destruction. Silence followed as she didn't quite know what to say to him, nor he to her. They had hated one another, and fought numerous times, but things were obviously different now. Bando had protected Mayu and Nana, and was fighting the Institute. Had they spoken on Lucy's behalf to Bando? Was that why he had spared Lucy's life when he could have killed her? Perhaps it was merely his concern for Mayu that stayed his hand? If they weren't going to be enemies, then she had to find some common ground for them both to stand on. She was finding that difficult however, considering the man before her. She then remembered that it probably went double for him, as he had been the one to suffer at her hands most terribly.

He finally met her gaze after a while, anger burning within his eyes.

"How did this happen?" he said, "who did this?"

Lucy looked away from him, "I did."

She saw Bando draw his weapon again and aim it at her, taking a few steps forward, "care to fucking repeat that?"

"I'm responsible by coming back here. By thinking I could live here, and be happy with these people. I fooled myself into thinking it would be possible. This is the result. I led Angel here…brought her into their lives thinking I was saving her. We destroyed them together," Lucy closed her eyes, fighting back tears that were welling up within them, "we both deserve to die."

She saw him lower his weapon, considering her for a moment as though he were trying to read her. After that moment passed, he seemed to come to a decision about her, and spoke again.

"Angel…did this?"

So he knew her. She had mentioned the name absent thought. It seemed Angel's notoriety was growing, or perhaps had already existed, and Lucy had been unaware.

"I told you…we…"

"Shut the fuck up and stop talking bullshit. Answer the question. Plainly. Did she do this?"

Lucy turned an angry gaze towards Bando, "yes!" she shouted, "she did! Because I…"

"You what?" he shouted back, "you told her to burn this place down? Told her to hurt Mayu? Did you fucking do that Lucy? I swear, if you did then we're going to finish what we started! Right here! Right now!"

"You fucking asshole!" Lucy screamed, provoked suddenly beyond reason. She rushed towards Bando, needing to take her erupting anger out on something. Or someone. As she ran towards him, she saw him prepare to raise his weapon, then paused for a second, as though waiting for something.

"I DIDN'T!" she screamed as she closed the distance, clenching her fist, wanting to strike him physically and feel the visceral satisfaction of the physical contact. It would be better than using her vectors because she was afraid she would simply kill him, and she wasn't about to do that to Mayu, whom Lucy knew would want to see him again. Bando quickly holstered his pistol as Lucy reached him.

"I DIDN'T TELL HER TO HURT THEM!" she said, swinging her fist towards Bando's face. He effortlessly caught her wrist, and shoved her roughly, using her forward momentum to carry her past him. Frustration, and rage exploded in her at being so thwarted, and she almost struck out with her vectors.

"Then why the hell are you talking that bullshit!" he shouted, "you're either responsible, or you're not!"

"It isn't that simple!" she growled.

"Yes it is," Bando said, in a calmer voice, "you just don't see it because you're a fucking idiot, full of self pity. I can see that plainly. Perhaps you'd like some help with the boards to build you a cross to hang upon?"

"Bastard!" she growled, rushing at him again. She stopped short of reaching him this time so that her forward momentum wouldn't carry her off, then threw her fist towards his face. He dodged, slapping her hand away and moving to the side each time she threw another punch. She felt a little satisfied at seeing his shocked confusion as she came at him. Lucy knew he had been expecting her to use vectors, and was probably quite thrown that she wasn't.

She reached back to throw another punch and saw him prepare to guard his face, but then Lucy changed her mind and threw a kick between his legs, knocking the wind out of him. She took advantage of his pained shock, and swung a fist into his face, connecting solidly with his jaw. Pain shot up her hand at the contact, and she relished it. The anger and physical pain were washing away her guilt and heartache. Bando stepped back, comforting his jaw, and turning to the side, protecting his groin area.

"Nice to see you're not all vectors. You're tougher than you look girl. I thought martyrs were about receiving pain, not dishing it out."

"Fuck you!"

She swung again and he caught her wrist, holding it tightly this time as he looked directly into her eyes.

"This shit…was not your fault. You hear me Lucy?"

Lucy had been about to struggle and swing at him again, but his words stole nearly all the fight from her. She eventually did attempt to free herself, though fruitlessly, forgetting entirely that she could free herself easily with her vectors.

"Let me go," she said, hating herself for the way her voice quivered, "I swear I'll…"

"She did this! That fucking monstrous bitch did this, not you! It's not your fault…"

"Yes it…I…if it weren't…"

He shook her violently, scattering her thoughts.

"Get it through your head, and start focusing all that anger on the bitch who's got it coming! Isn't that why you're here? To get some clarity on that subject? You're here for the same reasons I am. I knew that the second I recognized you. That's why I didn't pull the trigger. I know what you're feeling right now…"

"No you don't!"

"Yes I goddamn do!"

Bando shoved her on the ground, anger building in his own eyes.

"What the fuck is with you?" he shouted, "you act like you're the only one who knows what pain is!"

He pointed at his chest, "you think I don't know what it feels like to believe that your presence in a person's life causes them nothing but pain? I do know! You could ask my mother but she's FUCKING DEAD! Dead because she wouldn't leave me behind!"

She could only stare at him, stunned. She realized that up until this point, Bando had not been human to her. Just a faceless enemy who had poured all his hate into her, as she had poured her hate into him. It hadn't been that she really thought she was the only one capable of suffering, but she hadn't considered that Bando was capable of it, or even had any dark memories of his own.

"There was only one motherfucker responsible for that, and it sure as shit wasn't me. Self loathing distracts your focus on the shit that really matters, which includes making sure the motherfuckers responsible get what they deserve."

He stepped forward and looked down at her "there's your clarity. You aren't going to get satisfaction down there on the damn ground."

She couldn't believe it. This man was trying to dispel her anguish? Why?

He turned away, letting out a huff of breath in frustration, pacing in a slow circle as he ran a hand through his hair. After a moment, he turned back to Lucy, walking towards her and extending his hand.

"You know," he said, "I wasn't sure how I'd feel, seeing you again. Now I know. Shit's changed Lucy. So have you, and so have I. That's clear to me now. We've got a common enemy, a common problem, and it looks like we're linked together by the people important to us. Way I see it, you need all the help you can get. I know we still have some dark shit between us, but for right now, today? I'm not your enemy, nor are you mine."

She could only stare for a moment in disbelief. How could so many people overlook the terrible things she had done to them? There was something wholly backwards about that.

"Stand up," he commanded, "that's not your place."

The arrogance in the command nagged at her, causing a flame of anger to reignite somewhat, fighting back the pain that her thoughts brought her. She saw him grin slightly at recognizing the anger and all at once realized that he had provoked her on purpose. Anger had washed away her dark thoughts almost entirely. Slapping his hand away, she stood up on her own.

"No," she replied, "it's yours."

"That's more like it," he said, "I like you better when you're pissed off. It's familiar."

The corner of her lips turned upwards slightly in a smile despite herself. He returned the furtive gesture for only a moment. His face then fell again as he looked past her to the house.

"Christ…they had just enough time to pack…"

He walked past her towards the bags that were strewn haphazardly on the front porch.

"Why didn't they leave?" he said softly, "all their shit was right here, ready to go."

"I…" Lucy began, swallowing before she continued, "I think they were waiting for me to get back home."

"And where were you?" he asked, turning around.

"Not here…" she said bitterly.

Bando stared at her for a moment, but said nothing more about it. He turned back to the bags.

"Which one is Mayu's?" he asked.

"The one at your feet is hers."

She watched him kneel down before the bag, gently wiping ashes from it. She understood entirely how he was feeling, and understood in that moment that his feelings for Mayu were far deeper than she had thought. As hers ran for Kouta. Thinking of him in that moment, her mind clear of self pity and pain, she wondered what she was still doing here.

There was Yuka of course but…

_To hell with you…I'm coming back to face you. All of you. I'll let Kouta decide what I deserve. He's the only one with that right. _

She'd had to fight for everything in her life. This was just one more thing. Bando was right, her place was not on the ground.

Turning her attention back to Bando, she saw him reaching inside Mayu's bag and retrieving something.

"What are you…" Lucy began, but stopped when she saw what he removed.

"Dammit Mayu," he said, more to himself, "I said I was coming back for you, not this."

He stood up, hefting a large magnum pistol. The very one he had used to fight her before. Even to Lucy it had been a frightening weapon. There was just something particularly intimidating about the power and size of that handgun. Bando wielded it like it was a part of him.

"I meant it," he whispered to the air, "I'm coming back for you."

He turned back towards her, "why are you here? If the people important to you are all at the hospital?"

"It's…a long story. I wasn't ready to face them."

"And now?"

"Either I am or I'm not," she replied, "but I've wasted too much time already."

"There's a lot of that going around," he replied somewhat bitterly, "and none of us have a lot of time left to waste."

"You're talking about Red Sky?"

"Yes, we were heading…"

Bando's eyes suddenly widened with shock and he pointed his pistol towards the courtyard door.

"Kiss the ground motherfucker!"

* * *

><p>"What…the hell is this?" Arakawa exclaimed softly to herself as she approached one of the supply vehicles.<p>

It was largely undamaged, albeit the shattered windows. It was larger than the others, and appeared to carry only cargo, as a number of the trucks did. Arakawa had managed to recover the manifest from the lead car in the convoy, and had felt a great measure of dread at noticing one of the vehicles missing. According to the manifest, the missing vehicle had been carrying an enormous supply of weapons; from assault rifles, pistols, explosives, to RPGs and anti tank munitions. There had also been two SAW rifles in the vehicle. Arakawa was actually familiar with the American M249, and was chilled at the prospect of them being unaccounted for. It was obviously theft. Could that Diclonius have taken the weapons? Arakawa didn't want to imagine that possibility.

Approaching the truck in front of her, she could get a better look at what was inside the truck that had originally captured her interest. She lifted her hand and slowly swung the door open to the sound of metallic creaking. She was greeted with the sight of numerous radiation suits on hangers, situated near a variety of electronic devices which looked like meters of some sort. What were these things doing here? And where were they taking them?

She looked down to the manifest to find the answer to that question when a sound from behind startled her. She dropped the manifest and whirled around to see an Institute soldier standing there with one hand on his pistol, and the other extended towards her in supplication.

"Shit!" she exclaimed. Bando had been right, she should never have remained behind.

"Easy," the soldier said in a calming voice, "just take it easy, I'm not going to hurt you."

Arakawa reached for her gun without thought.

"Stay back!" she yelled out, drawing her weapon without thought. She knew she didn't stand a chance. If this man didn't get her, his backup would.

"Just calm down," the man said, his voice becoming louder, "were you here when this happened? Who's responsible for this nightmare? Was it Ghost?"

Arakawa could only stare for a moment at the man. He could have had his own weapon out before she had taken hers from her waist. He could have killed her easily, but he didn't. Now he was speaking of Ghost as though he were an enemy. What was going on here?

"No," she said, still wary, "it wasn't Ghost. It was that Diclonius. Number 5. Angel."

"Christ," said the man, looking around quickly, "so what the hell are we still doing here? We can't be here right now. If the Prime Target is still in the area, we are both dead."

The man holstered his weapon, "you're Akane Arakawa right? I recognize you from the bio. My name is Sergeant Yamaoka. You can call me Takashi."

"You're here alone? Are you insane?"

"Not exactly," Takashi replied, "we've got to get out of here, and get you to safety."

Safety? What was this?

"What…" Arakawa began.

"I'll explain later. The short version is that Kamakura S.A.T just received orders rescinding your fugitive status. Bando's too. Is he with you?"

It had to be a trick of some kind, but then again why would he bother with lies? He had her dead to rights. Arakawa looked around for some kind of escape route.

"Goddamn it woman, listen to me! The Institute is split right now and you better thank the gods above that I found you first…"

"…but not fast enough," came a deep, smug voice from somewhere beyond the smoke. Arakawa knew that voice, and it chilled her to the core. She flinched involuntarily as memories of pain and torture came rushing back to her.

Ghost stepped slowly out of the swirling smoke, aiming a massive pistol at both herself, and Takashi.

"Dammit," Takashi whispered vehemently, his hand inching towards his gun.

"Don't try it," Ghost said calmly, "the bullets in this gun will fuck a hole right through your body armor and grind your organs to paste. And that'll happen before you get the barrel clear of the holster."

Ghost craned his neck over to look at Arakawa.

"Nice to see you again."

"Go fuck yourself, pig," Arakawa spat.

Ghost smiled maddeningly.

"We'll revisit that sass a little later, when there's more time," Ghost reached up to the radio attached to his vest, and touched a button, "I have Arakawa. Set up a perimeter around the wreckage."

"Sir," came the reply.

Ghost released the talk button, and focused on Takashi and Arakawa once more, "you both were stupid to come here. Didn't you imagine someone other than you would be interested in the massive column of smoke, visible in all directions for miles?"

"Ghost," Takashi said, "I don't know what's been going on back at the Institute, but surely you realize we both have a common purpose? You're one of us for Christ's sake, why would you defect to the American director?"

"Defect?" Ghost replied, shifting his pistol to the other hand, "I'm not the defector here. The Institute is an organization without nationality. We aren't drawing lines in the sand. You are. Perhaps I should be asking you the purpose of your defection, but that would be unfair. It's hardly your fault that Erich and Ryota have made your decisions for you. But you have a choice now. You can choose to stop taking orders from those renegades, and rejoin the legitimate authority in the Institute. Or you can choose to get shot down like a dog. Right here and now."

"Dammit Ghost!" Takashi growled, "you want to start trouble, then fine, but can we please not do it here? Number 5 tore this place apart, and is probably still around!"

"What?" Ghost replied, almost in a whisper, "Angel…is…"

Arakawa saw Ghost's gun droop down slightly, and seized her chance. She brought her weapon to bear against Ghost, and fired somewhat wildly. Her first two shots missed their mark entirely and caused Ghost to stagger back into the smoke as he returned fire ineffectually. Suddenly, Arakawa could hear radio chatter all around them. None of that mattered to her, as she began walking towards Ghost's direction in pursuit. She wanted him dead so badly it consumed her thoughts and instincts. When she felt a hand grasp her arm, she lashed out by swinging her arm with the pistol, hoping to beat away the asshole holding her back from…

"Snap out of it Arakawa! We have to get the hell out of here right now!"

It sounded so much like Bando, she complied almost automatically. Takashi drug her away from the din of radio chatter and began running with her towards the direction of…

"He's at Maple Inn!" Arakawa said, between heavy breaths as they ran, "Bando's there! We have to…"

"What?" Takashi cried out, "shit!"

His pace picked up and he began to leave Arakawa behind as he turned the corner into the nearby walkway. Already she could hear the gunshots from the handful of pursuers who had caught a glimpse of them. As she turned the corner, she could hear Bando's voice now, yelling something.

"Kiss the ground motherfucker!"

Arakawa picked up the pace as best she could, seeing Takashi up ahead with his hands raised.

"Bando, wait!" Takashi cried out, "I'm not after you…"

Then Arakawa heard another voice which almost made her freeze in place.

"Bando, stop pointing that goddamn gun at Takashi or I'll shove it up your ass!"

Arakawa burst in to see Lucy, standing in front of Bando in defense of Takashi. They knew each other? And what the HELL was Lucy doing here?

As Arakawa burst in noisily, Lucy turned around quickly at the sound. The sight of her dark red Diclonius eyes made Arakawa bring her gun halfway up in an automatic response, thinking better of the movement at the last moment. Lucy glared.

"I fucking dare you bitch…" Lucy said.

At first, Arakawa was confused at the acidic hostility, but then remembered she had earned it by pointing a gun at Lucy back at the island facility. Arakawa also had had some unkind words for Lucy that night. She lowered her gun.

"Lucy…I was just…"

"ALRIGHT!" Takashi shouted, "I know I'm about to ask a lot out of everyone here, and I'd love an explanation from…pretty much everyone right now, but we are in a lot of trouble, and we need to get out of here and back to Kamakura Hospital. We don't have time for questions or explanations. You're just going to have to trust me."

"Do as he says," Lucy said quickly, "you can trust him."

"What the hell is going on?" Bando asked roughly.

"It's Ghost," Takashi said, "he's here, and he's bringing a mountain of trouble with him."

"I can handle him," Lucy said darkly, "and his 'trouble'."

"Lucy," Takashi said, "this man has soldiers who were sent here specifically to hunt the Diclonius in the city. I'm almost certain they have equipment to make that job damn near trivial. Remember what I said about the blaze of glory shit? You have someone to go back to! Don't be a fool!"

"Now you're really asking a lot," Bando said with a smirk.

"Fuck off," Lucy said hotly, though with a strange smirk that Arakawa didn't quite understand.

"Enough talk," Takashi said, "I've got a Humvee parked nearby. Let's move!"

* * *

><p>"<em>See Katsuo? I was right. You should learn to trust me more. I told you that you'd find your prey here."<em>

"That you did," Ghost said as he stared with dark purpose at the collapsed building across the street from him, surrounded by a walled courtyard. The pistol was gripped tightly in his hand and the adrenaline in his blood was thundering. Screaming for blood.

"_I'm with you Katsuo. Let's fucking do this."_

"I'm ready."

Ghost reached up to his radio and pushed down the talk button, the corner of his lips turning up in a smile. Today, he would have his victory. Today, the Institute would have its glory restored. All because of him.

"All units…move in. Take them down."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>**I've written a message to you guys in my profile to keep the word count accurate on this story. It's officially been a whole year that I've been working on this! I thought to honor the occasion with a few words ^_^. (if "Update 8/18/2012" isn't showing up, give it a few minutes or so. Profile updates take longer it seems)  
><strong>


	38. Project: Atavist

**AN: Hello guys. I know this chapter has been delayed for a very long time and I apologize for the long wait. I hope it will have been worth that wait...or at least kind of worth it :). Much of the delay stemmed from wanting to write a chapter, but then realizing partway through, that it would be way too long and felt too 'spread out' in subject matter. So I decided to break it into two parts, this being the first. Because I had to do this, I essentially had to rewrite part one entirely to fit this new format. Anyway, for those who sent e-mail/reviews in the past month, I'm really grateful for that. Really picked up spirits that had taken a beating over the past month (things are good now though!)^_^. I hope you enjoy the chapter. **

***edit: Inserted a page break where one was missing midway through the chapter.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Time seemed to slow down for Bando as the decision had been made to evacuate the Maple Inn ruins.<p>

The sensation caused a rush of panic to wash over him, recognizing the pattern of his shifting perceptions and sensations. It was always in moments like these, that his many thoughts and perceptions would slam together all at once in a the form of cold realization. The familiarity he felt was in the understanding that these feelings were his instincts telling him something was urgently wrong.

Arakawa and Takashi had returned with news that they were being pursued, but a great deal of time had been allowed to pass without any sign of pursuers. Bando realized, in the space of a second, that it meant they were being surrounded. Normally, a pursuing squad would engage them from the main entrance, following standard entry procedures for clearing an enclosed area. If an effort was being made to cover the exits, it meant their pursuers knew exactly what they were dealing with. Bando remembered suddenly that Takashi mentioned the American troops being outfitted for combat against Diclonius targets.

"Enough talk!" Takashi shouted, "I've got a humvee parked nearby. Let's move!"

As the group turned to head for the main entrance, Bando stood frozen, his instincts razor sharp and moving so quickly that everything else in the world seemed to crawl. Tree branches swayed slowly and hypnotically, the flight of birds sounded like a dull roar of displaced air, and the objects being lobbed over the courtyard walls seemed to move…

"GET DOWN!" Bando screamed.

Everyone dropped to the floor except Lucy, which Bando had expected. He imagined she was used to feeling generally invincible, so when Bando had shouted his warning, he began running towards Lucy immediately. He was met with shocked protest when he tackled her to the ground, just in time for the explosions. Bando tried not to think of what their physical conditions would be after the fragmentation grenades tore through their bodies. The best they could do was make themselves as small a target as possible.

The cries of shock were drowned out by the deafening sound of the blasts and Bando braced himself for the coming pain. When that pain didn't come, confusion set in, paralyzing Bando for a moment. Looking over towards Takashi, he saw a similar confusion in his face.

"What the hell?" Takashi began, "that…was…"

"Flashbang grenades," Bando said suddenly, rising to his feet rapidly and quickly scanning the courtyard, "fucking stupid of them. Why would they…?"

Bando forced himself to snap out of his shock. They had only seconds to react before they were taken down by the squad that would surely be coming in the wake of the grenade assault.

"Inside!" Bando yelled, motioning towards Maple Inn, "now!"

Bando knew the exits were covered. Trying to walk out of the front door would have been suicide. Their best hope was to retreat within the walls of the ruined building. It would buy them some time and provide them cover while they determined where to punch their way out of this trap. Takashi and Arakawa ran immediately to the relative safety of the house, but once again Lucy remained still, though obviously for a different reason as she still appeared to be in shock.

"Lucy! Move your ass!"

"I…can't feel them," Lucy said in a rising horror, raising her hands to her head, "can't concentrate enough to…"

"Shit!" Bando exclaimed, grabbing her arm and forcing her back with him to the house. Upon reaching the front steps, Bando heard gunfire from behind them. It tore at the structure around them, causing wood to splinter violently, and fly around like shattered glass. Bando heaved Lucy towards the door as he spun around and returned fire with his Desert Eagle, the sound of the gunshots like cannons as they blasted through the meager cover of the courtyard wall. Bando heard the sounds of men crying out in pain, and knew at least some of his bullets found their marks. He quickly ran inside, firing as he went. Once inside, he pulled the door shut, ejected the empty clip, and quickly replaced it with a fresh one, filling the room with the echo of the slap and metallic click as Bando chambered the first round.

"We lingered too long," Takashi said in frustration, "let them surround us…"

"Stay frosty," Bando commanded, "give us an exit plan."

Bando turned to Lucy who was still holding her head, "what the hell happened back there Lucy?"

"I don't know," she replied, shaken, "the grenades went off and then…it was like someone rang a giant bell in my mind, and it's still ringing. I can't call my vectors!"

"Shit," he said with a mirthless chuckle, "wish I'd have known all it took was flash bang grenades to flip your murder machine off. I think things might have ended a bit differently between us."

Lucy's eyes filled with anger and her hands dropped to her sides. Good. As long as she was pissed off, she wouldn't be thinking about what had happened to her. Bando had figured out very quickly that anger seemed to clear her mind of self destructive emotions. In that respect, she was a lot like many other people in the world, which still surprised him even knowing that the Diclonius were not really different from human beings psychologically. To him, Lucy still felt like an unfathomable nemesis. As if she alone represented all that was inhuman about the Diclonius. It was difficult to let go of a perception like that.

"It's more than just flash bangs," Takashi said, returning quickly from somewhere in the hallway, "they're dissonance grenades. I heard them talking about it on the comms just before both sides switched to secure lines and we lost contact with the Americans. They designed a new type of flash bang to explode in the sound frequency range that they use in the vector nullifiers. The headgear uses a steady, low intensity pulse, but these grenades create a short, high intensity shock. The effects are temporary, but it's usually long enough for a retrieval or extermination squad to get their job done quickly, and easily."

"Alright, so it's temporary. That's one mystery solved. Now, how are we getting through their perimeter?"

A volley of bullets interrupted them, slamming against the structure and piercing walls and windows. Arakawa screamed, and all lowered themselves to the ground.

"Get further inside!" Takashi shouted as he unhooked two fragmentation grenades from his vest, pulling their pins, and tossing them through an open window. Bando turned on his gun light to illuminate the dark halls of the inn as they moved. Here and there, pale light would spill into the hall from holes in the roof, but they were not enough to illuminate much around them. Most of the light that could be seen was coming from what looked like a dining area. Bando quickly checked the room, and motioned the others inside.

The room was a complete wreck, with numerous support beams having collapsed in front of what had been an exit onto a backyard patio. Most of the wall near the kitchen door had been torn apart in what looked like an explosion. Bando chanced a look towards Lucy, but it was too dim to clearly make out her facial expressions, though he was quite sure he did not need to see her face to know what she was feeling. Bando had occasionally entertained a silly fantasy of being invited here by Mayu's adoptive family, and getting to know the people who were so vastly important in her life. While he knew that would never have happened, he had hoped at least to come here when it was still full of life and warmth. It was little more than a corpse now, the ghost of a happy dream. He knew, however, that his feelings were nothing compared to Lucy's anguish. Lucy had lived this dream, and had it violently ripped away from her. Bando used to believe it was better to at least experience happiness, and lose it, than to never know it and always yearn for it. Watching Lucy and her haunted eyes, he knew without doubt how mistaken he would have been.

"Alright," Takashi said from his position at the hallway door, "this is our situation. We don't know how many of them we're up against, but my guess is that it's probably a scouting party out there. Probably around ten to fifteen men. If they'd had more than that, they would have already followed us in here to overwhelm us. They know, or at least expect, that a Diclonius is here, considering how they opened their assault…"

"And how the hell would they know that anyway?" Bando asked.

"I don't know," Takashi answered, "I didn't announce that I was transporting Lucy to a specific location. Ghost didn't mention my traveling with Lucy when we spoke, so I don't think he knew she was with me at the time. In any case, right now they're probably assuming Lucy is without control of her vectors, so they know they've got a timetable to work with. I'd ballpark somewhere around ten to fifteen minutes from the moment those grenades exploded."

"Which means we're running out of time," Bando said, "they're not going to let that window close without trying something."

"It's already too late for them," came Lucy's voice in a familiar, cold drawl. Bando looked over and to his shock, saw Lucy levitating the dining room table.

"What?" Takashi whispered in shock, "how?"

"I've been shocked like this before," Lucy said, "last year, when a S.A.T sharpshooter shot one of my horns off."

Bando saw Lucy stare meaningfully towards Takashi and something passed between them that Bando couldn't understand.

"It caused my control to slip," she said, "but…I was so angry, and so…" she took a breath, "my mind was already in chaos. The shock didn't break my control. It was like standing naked in the cold, and having someone touch you with ice. You almost don't notice it because you're already freezing."

"And you found a way to focus through all that chaos?" Bando said.

Lucy nodded, "this was like that. Instinct just kicked in, so the grenade didn't really…."

Suddenly, Lucy began walking towards the hallway door.

"Wait, Lucy?" Bando called out, "what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"We're trapped in here. It doesn't take a tactician to figure out our chances when they come in here after us. Or even if they don't. You and Takashi may be good, but we're trapped rats in here and every second we don't do something, is a second their reinforcements get closer. How many men do you think we can all fight off without any of us being killed? They're probably just holding us in here until they arrive, and then what will we do?"

"Lucy," Bando said, "don't be a fucking fool. Those grenades put your lights out. It doesn't matter how fast you can recover, all they need is for you to be disabled for five seconds. Just long enough for them to blow your fucking brains out!"

"Just shut up and cover me," Lucy said as she stalked down the hallway with Takashi in tow, "I'm going to see Kouta again, and these bastards are in my way. I swore to myself I would see him again, and that promise is worth more to me than every one of their lives!"

"_No matter what I have to do, we'll see each other again…"_

His words to Mayu. Were they his lie? Or his promise? He couldn't let it end like that. Not with lies on his lips. Not to her.

"Are you coming, or what?" Arakawa said, brushing past him, wielding her pistol. Bando followed them quickly down the hallway until they reached a hole in the wall which lead to the backyard. Takashi was already firing at soldiers outside who were taking cover behind anything and everything. Lucy stood against the opposite wall, fists clenched and a determined look in her eyes.

"Alright Lucy," Bando said, "whatever crazy shit you're about to do, I'm in."

Lucy looked askance towards Bando, who returned the look with a slight smile.

"I also made a promise to someone, that we'd be seeing each other again ," he said, "so let's get the fuck out of here."

Lucy nodded and turned to the group.

"I'm going to walk out there and get their attention. I'm guessing they'll try that grenade trick again."

"Almost certainly," Takashi replied.

"I can stop their fire, or I can use my vectors to throw their grenades back at them, but I can't do both. I need you guys to pin them down…"

Bando saw Lucy's fists tighten harder and the look in her eyes darken, "just give me three minutes…"

"Lucy," Takashi said, "be extremely careful. You aren't wearing body armor. All it will take is one bullet…"

"Takashi…" she said simply. Her gaze was almost pleading, her tone apologetic.

Bando saw Takashi close his eyes for a moment, and then position himself against the wall near the torn hole, gripping his assault rifle tightly.

"They will do as they must, and so will we," he said simply, "now go!"

At that command, Bando, Takashi, and Arakawa took aim and began firing at the soldiers who were scattered around the yard. Some refused to take cover once they saw Lucy run into the open, thinking they had an easy target. Bando didn't waste his time firing at them as they were too far from his pistol's effective range. He did however notice, with approval, Takashi prioritizing those long range targets with his rifle. One of Takashi's targets reeled in pain as a bullet slammed into his hand, with another striking the back plate of his armor, sending him crashing to the ground.

As expected, Bando saw the dissonance grenades being thrown towards Lucy who quickly snatched them up with her vectors, and sent them back to their owners. The precision with which she managed to catch them impressed Bando, though he remembered she had plenty of practice. There had never been a shortage of men trying to kill her in the course of her life.

The grenades exploded near the men, stunning them. Lucy broke into a run, approaching one group that had taken shelter behind a tool shed. Bando heard screams and saw parts of the shed start to collapse. When Lucy emerged, she was wielding an assault rifle.

"Alright!" Takashi shouted, "let's get out there and provide support! Flank left! Akane, watch our backs."

They moved as a single unit, emerging from the inn's ruins, and following the wall. From further away, Bando could hear new screams as Lucy converged on another group. Bando focused his own attack on men who had taken position near a stone fountain. Bando and Takashi flattened to the ground when they heard Arakawa's gun going off behind them, and began showering the stone fountain with bullets. Before long, they had taken down the two soldiers who had been using it for cover.

"We've got to hurry!" Bando shouted, "the ones in front will be coming back here to give support!"

More explosions rang out near them. Bando looked over to see Lucy riddling three opponents with rifle fire at close range. There were only a few soldiers left now, who didn't seem to know where to focus their defense, as both Lucy, and Bando's group, were closing in on either side. As Bando stood up, he noticed something at Lucy's feet.

"LUCY!" Bando screamed, "WATCH OUT!"

She broke into a run, knowing she wouldn't find it in time, but the explosion from the dissonance grenade she hadn't noticed was still close enough to knock her down. The remaining soldiers in the backyard chose to focus on her now that she was disabled; forgetting about Bando's team in their desperation. They broke from cover to finish Lucy off.

"NO!" Takashi cried out, bringing his rifle to bear, and unleashing a spray of gunfire along with Bando and Arakawa. The soldiers dropped, having only fired their weapons ineffectually in Lucy's direction. All three spun around to deal with the threat that was surely coming from behind them, but saw nothing. As the echo from the gunshots began to fade, Bando could hear general shouts of "retreat" being called out.

Takashi ran immediately to Lucy's side, helping her to stand.

"Lucy, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," she said shakily, "but I'm feeling that ringing in my head again. I need a few minutes to…"

"You can recover while we run," Bando said, then turned to Takashi, "where's the car?"

"Around back, just over the wall."

"Alright," he said, turning back to Lucy, "it's not over yet Lucy, they'll be coming at us even harder now. We've got to get to Fujisawa. If what Takashi says is true, Ryota will help us. Ghost will be calling every available American Institute soldier in the vicinity to stop us from getting there. He has to know that's where we'll go."

"Right," she said, picking up another rifle from the ground, "I'm ready."

No more words were wasted as they made their way towards the backyard wall.

* * *

><p>"Commander, the entry squad was wiped out," came the sterile, distorted voice from Ghost's radio, "targets are now escaping to the street from the east wall."<p>

Ghost smiled as he sat in the passenger seat of a troop truck being driven by another soldier. He hadn't really expected the "trap" to catch anyone, though it would have been quite convenient if it had. The real purpose of the assault was twofold. Its first objective, was to find out exactly how many targets he was dealing with, and who they were. He had been relatively sure Bando was going to be there, but Lucy? That was one hell of a bonus. Something in his gut had told him to advise the assault team to open up with dissonance grenades and he was glad now that he had made that call. If they had chosen any other method of entry, the entire squad could have been wiped out instead of just most of it.

He wished he could have seen the look on that Diclonius bitch's face once those grenades went off and she realized she was powerless. It would, at the least, shake her sense of invincibility. It was truly pathetic how tough these monsters acted while hiding behind their shields. Once without them, they were like terrified children without an ounce of courage. He almost pitied the Diclonius for that, being born with an ability which effectively prevented them from ever knowing what true strength really was.

As for the second purpose of the assault…

"Are the intersection roadblocks in place?"

"Affirmative Commander. Final team just reported in."

Almost as soon as Ghost had ordered the attack, he had sent out a general call for reinforcements, but ordered them to fortify key road intersections. Mostly the ones which would lead most directly to Fujisawa Hospital, where the majority of Ryota's forces were congregated. Ghost had been hoping they would choose to flee in a vehicle, as a block by block search on foot would have been nigh impossible, and would have spread his own men too thin to be effective if Bando's group were encountered. Ghost figured his quarry would simply assume their victory over the assault team meant that it bought them time to flee. Instead, their struggle with the assault team bought Ghost the time he needed to set up the real trap. When that trap snapped shut, it would happen with all four runners conveniently wrapped up in a single, vehicular target. There would be no escape, and all four would be burning in a heap of rubble before any of Ryota's own men showed up to provide assistance.

"Very good," Ghost answered the soldier on the radio, "all squads stay sharp. The targets could hit any one of the blockades. Report immediately when you see them. Pursuit squads, standby for that report, and detach from your units to box the targets in. Be advised, the Diclonius' identity has been confirmed to be Lucy, and is not on the list of retrievable targets. You are clear to terminate the Diclonius, and authorized to employ heavy ordinance against all targets."

It wouldn't be as satisfying as Ghost would have preferred, but Bando wasn't going to escape this time. He would die as a hunted animal once the pursuit squads ran their vehicle down. Ghost imagined Bando surviving the initial devastation, just long enough for Ghost to get there and personally fire the bullet that would end his life. Too many times now, Bando had eluded his own execution. His luck couldn't last. Wouldn't last.

"_Turn left…"_

"Turn left here," Ghost said to the driver automatically. Why…what the hell?

_Do you know where we're going?_

Silence. Just the sound of rattling equipment and the dull hum of the engine. The driver complied with the order and continued down the street.

_Why won't you answer me? _

"_You still think I'm instinct, don't you?" _

…_what?_

"_Two blocks down…then turn right…"_

* * *

><p>"What is this?" Arakawa asked once they had reached the humvee, and gotten inside. She had taken the front seat, while Bando and Lucy sat in the back. Arakawa had been instantly intrigued at the sight of the computer module fixed to the dashboard.<p>

"Mostly use this as a database," Takashi answered, starting the car, "to get information on certain individuals. We also get tactical data like maps from central command, or reports with information pertinent to our mission."

Takashi pulled away from the sidewalk quickly, and began driving down the road as a less than comfortable speed.

"Are there any physical ports on that thing?" came Bando's voice from the backseat, "something that would accept a flash drive?"

"Right here," Arakawa said, noticing an area on the computer's side which possessed a number of USB ports.

Arakawa saw Bando's upper body appear in the front seat, and held something up for her to see. A flash drive.

"What is that?" Arakawa asked.

"Ryota gave this to me the day before our escape. He said it concerned Ghost…and…to forgive him for what I'd find on it."

A pit of dread settled in Arakawa's stomach. The sight of the flash drive suddenly seemed malevolent to her, and she didn't really want to know what was on it.

"Bando…"

"As much as I'd like to look at this myself, I don't think we're ever going to have the time. I'd offer to switch seats, but Lucy and I need to get this vehicle ready so we can fight off pursuers. I doubt this getaway is going to be clean…"

"But Bando," Arakawa protested, "he gave this to you, and you alone. Are you sure you want all of us…"

"We're all tied up in this Akane. Yes, I would prefer to be alone with this thing, but I'm not going to miss my chance to know the truth. Besides, after everything that bastard Ghost's put us through? I'd say we all deserve to know it too."

He pressed the flash drive into her palm, "do it Akane…"

He retreated to the backseat where he began talking to Lucy. Arakawa couldn't hear the words, and nothing else seemed to exist except the small object in her hand. With a shaking hand, she reluctantly guided the device into one of the computer's ports.

_Ryota…I know you, felt your heart, saw the nature of your soul. I love you…I trust you. Whatever is on this flash drive…I know you had your reasons. I won't turn away from you, no matter what. I swear it…_

Steadying herself, she searched through various menus until she found the location of the flash drive. Upon selecting it, she found in its contents a single folder, entitled:

Project: Atavist.

Taking a deep breath, she opened it and began to quickly read.

* * *

><p>Ghost couldn't remember when his breathing had quickened. He had long ago stopped asking if the Voice's directions were leading him to Bando. Wherever they were going, Ghost was almost sure Bando would not be the ending destination. Something felt terribly wrong, as though their drive were taking him away from reality, and into the empty streets of an old nightmare.<p>

"Sir," the driver asked hesitantly, "are we headed to some destination in particular? I know all the outposts nearby by heart. If you'd like, you can just tell me which…"

"Just drive," Ghost said roughly, "and stop asking questions."

"_Ha ha ha ha…"_

* * *

><p>Arakawa began to relax somewhat as the initial contents of the flash drive seemed like rather standard stuff.<p>

"What have you got?" came Bando's voice from the back.

"This file looks like an amalgamation of reports, and personal accounts," Arakawa began, "it starts with an essay written by Director Kakuzawa many years ago where he talks about Diclonius evolution. The focus seems pretty specific."

"What was it?"

"He was interested in Diclonius males," which was unsurprising, considering Director Kakuzawa had been a Diclonius himself, "and wondered if there was a similar relationship in their species' hierarchy as there were in the females."

"English?"

"He wanted to know if males could be divided into "Silpilets" and "Kings" in the same way that females are separated into "Silpilets" and "Queens". And if they could be, he wanted to know what distinguished one, from the other."

"Well? Did he find out?"

"He arrived at a hypothesis yes, but his curiosity over that appears to be peripheral to his true interest."

"Which was?"

* * *

><p>"Just keep going," Ghost said nervously.<p>

"Sir…we're actually about to exit the theatre of operations for this pursuit, are you sure about this?"

"_You feel it don't you? The sand running out of the hourglass, the ticking clock slowly winding down. You've been getting closer to this moment day by day, hour by hour. Time's almost up…"_

_What moment? What the hell are you talking about?_

"_Time to wake up Katsuo, and stop pretending you don't know exactly what the fuck I'm talking about. Time for you to stop pretending you don't know who I am…"_

Ghost saw the driver reach for his radio.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ghost spat.

"Calling for backup to meet us out here. We're off the grid and on our own in this sector."

"_Not quite…heads up Katsuo…"_

Ghost saw a rapid flash in his peripheral vision. He knew instinctively, and immediately, what it was.

"INCOMING!" Ghost screamed as the RPG slammed into the side of the troop truck.

The explosion violently forced the truck onto its side, shattering all of the windows. Ghost immediately felt pain from the shock of the impact, along with the flying glass that had shredded his face. He hung limply and painfully from his seatbelt as the truck continued to slide across the road on its side, emitting a terrible grinding sound. Ghost could already feel the heat from flames burning at the truck's underside. After a time, the truck stopped moving, and there was relative silence, save for the sound of burning flame. Feeling helpless from his hanging position, Ghost struggled to free himself from the seatbelt. As he slowly disentangled himself from the belt, he saw the driver lying motionless. Upon closer inspection, Ghost saw blood pouring from a gruesome throat wound, caused by a large shard of glass that had detached from the driver's side window, embedding itself in his neck. Ghost turned away from the scene and redoubled his efforts to undo the seatbelt.

"Fuck," he said with a wince, freeing himself at last, and shoving the passenger door upwards to climb out of the cab. His whole body hurt, but the pain was mostly manageable. If it hadn't been for his physical enhancements, he was sure he'd have been lucky to crawl away from this, let alone survive. With supreme effort, he hoisted himself onto the cab, and leapt off of it onto the ground. He jogged a few steps quickly away to put some distance between him, and the truck's gas tank, which hadn't exploded yet.

He crossed the street, to press his back against a building. He didn't see any alleyways he could duck into, but this would do for now to get him out of the open. Where the hell had the attack come from? Who fired it? Could it possibly have been Bando somehow? He always seemed to miraculously be one step ahead of Ghost. Could he have set this up.

Rage flooded through him, that goddamn Voice led him here.

"You goddamn motherfucking IDIOT!" Ghost screamed into the air, "was this your fucking brilliant plan? Get us blown to shit and stranded in an evacuated zone?"

"_Time's up Katsuo."_

It was in that moment, that he heard the clattering sound of equipment being dropped upon the ground. Looking towards the sound, he saw a single shot RPG launcher lying on the concrete, minus the warhead. Next to that…

"You," came a cold, raspy, feminine voice that began to fill with an awful kind of delight.

"I remember you…"

Fear suddenly emptied his mind of all thoughts.

* * *

><p>"Kakuzawa was convinced that Diclonius males had once exhibited abilities similar to the females," Arakawa continued.<p>

"You mean they could control vectors?" Lucy chimed in.

"Kakuzawa seems hesitant to refer to the males' abilities as vectors. He postulates that their abilities might have manifested themselves differently than they did in women."

"Does he say how?" Bando asked.

"He goes through a few theories, but the one he keeps returning to suggests some form of telepathy."

"How could he even guess at that?" Lucy asked.

Arakawa swallowed roughly, "I'm…getting to that. A lot of his conclusions seem drawn from the results of a massive experiment he codenamed Project: Atavist."

"Atavist?" Bando asked.

"The term describes the reappearance of a genetic trait in a species after being absent for several generations. Kakuzawa wanted to know if he could engineer a controlled ecosystem that would create a genetic environment conducive to the reappearance of male Diclonius children born with superhuman abilities."

Arakawa had already read past this point before she had resumed speaking. The more she read, the paler she became. She was still wrestling with the revelation she had unearthed while reading.

"And how was he supposed to have accomplished this?" Bando asked.

Arakawa closed her eyes, "that's…where Ryota comes in…"

* * *

><p>The voice was familiar; cold and raspy like rusting iron in a frozen wasteland. It sent fear spiking through him so intense he thought he might wince from the sensation. The figure standing before him was wearing the remnants of a torn and tattered black dress, and a pair of combat boots. The dress hung off of the woman precariously and where he saw flesh, he could see dried blood. With fear gripping his heart, he looked up into the face of the demon who had broken him at the Institute. She looked a lot like she had back then; wild and unkempt, a vision of savagery. Much of her hair fell wildly in front of her face, but not enough to obscure her terrible, piercing gaze. Ghost trembled. He had believed himself ready to face Angel again. He had been a fool. He took a step back, and saw her smile.<p>

"How do I look?" she said slowly, taking a leisurely step towards him.

"Like a monster," he whispered hoarsely. She quietly laughed, and took another step towards him.

"I admit, I'm not at my best right now…but I've had a lot to think about since last night and washing away the blood didn't seem very important to me at the time. I don't mind. I like what I see in the mirror now."

She stepped closer. Ghost found himself rooted to the spot, unable to move.

"Truth," she said simply, "I see myself, as I am. As I truly am. I see what everyone sees when they stare at that reflection. Only instead of accepting it, others merely study that reflection as though it belonged to someone else, so they would know how not to resemble that person in any way."

"_This is your moment Katsuo! What we've been waiting for! KILL HER!"_

Reality seemed to flicker and shift in Angel's presence. It was as though two worlds were trying to converge into one.

"Tell me. What did you see of yourself after I left you that night? When I ripped away your sense of power? Your presumption of strength? What remained?"

"_I remained…"_

"My name," Ghost said distractedly, spellbound by the fierce intensity of Angel's eyes upon him. Nothing human existed in that creature. Nothing.

"My true…name," he added.

Angel stared at him curiously as the world continued to shift around him. At times, she would occasionally look like that Diclonius girl he had spoken with long ago. The one who had destroyed herself right before his eyes. Angel's scrutiny upon him sharpened, as though trying to come to some conclusion about him, but he couldn't imagine what. Why was Angel here?

Why…was HE here?

_You were leading me to Angel…weren't you?_

"_Yes…"_

"How did you know where to find me?" Angel asked, her expression fixed in a state of almost childlike contemplation.

"I…don't know," Ghost answered, his voice trembling. Something was happening in his mind, some long forgotten memory, rushing towards him like a tidal wave. And all he could do was watch, and wait to be swept away.

"I think," Angel said, reaching behind her and drawing a large combat knife, "that you do."

This was it.

He was going to die.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Ghost said in a rising panic as Angel stalked towards him.

She smiled darkly at him, showing teeth, and drew a slow breath. She exhaled quickly, and rushed forward.

* * *

><p>Bando had stopped working for a moment while Arakawa spoke, leaving Lucy to reconfigure the backseat area. He'd almost forgotten about the danger they were all in.<p>

"Project: Atavist," Arakawa began, "was a massive undertaking that concluded about two decades ago. It was an experiment in eugenics that had two objectives. The first was to determine if the ability to breed could re-emerge in female Silpilits, but the one that Kakuzawa considered far more important, was to determine if, given the appropriate genetic environment, Diclonius males could be born with the use of superhuman abilities similar to those present in Diclonius females. He…Kakuzawa's plan to create that "environment" was to first create a large group of "carriers" through proximity to Diclonius test subjects. As you can imagine, the first of them were Institute scientists and military personnel. I don't think any of them were aware of what Kakuzawa had been planning, or even that they were carriers."

Bando already didn't like where this was going.

"Those people," Arakawa went on, "typically lived in neighborhoods that had been erected through Institute funding, for their employees. It took many years, but Kakuzawa eventually created his own microcosmic 'community' of carriers. When urban sprawl reached the area, and it became more of a town than a neighborhood, the people already living there became less inclined to leave. Kakuzawa had his fertile ground. All he had to do now was wait. Eventually, the first Silpilits were born."

From the corner of Bando's eye, he saw Lucy stop working.

"Some of the people started to panic, and word started spreading. Kakuzawa states that at this time, he felt a degree of control over the people, and the rumors, was necessary. He also needed a reliable way to keep track of the Diclonius children being born in this community, and monitor their behavior to ensure any potential problems were stopped before they started, or covered up if problems already existed. He also needed the truth of this covered up as much as possible among his own people so they would not suspect his hand in it. This task, Kakuzawa turned over to Institute Special Forces…"

Arakawa paused for a moment, then went on, "the flash drive contains a list of S.A.T reports that span the course of several years. Bando…the signature on those reports…"

"Is Ryota's…" Bando finished for her, knowing she was going to say that. She nodded without turning around.

"He was in charge of what Kakuzawa called the "Quiet Quarantine". It was Ryota's job to ensure that no word ever went beyond the town regarding the birth anomalies, terminate Diclonius subjects that were becoming dangerous, transport others to the facility, dissuade key subjects from moving away by whatever means necessary. It…doesn't specify what measures he took to achieve those goals but…aside from the occasional leak, Kakuzawa seems to believe Ryota successfully carried out his objective."

_Ryota…what did you do? Why were you a part of this? Why?_

There had to be a reason. Had to be more to this story, and he was goddamn going to find out. Bando closed his eyes and sighed.

"So Kakuzawa engineered some twisted plan where he played with hundreds of people's lives," Bando said with disgust, "and for nothing."

When he opened his eyes again, he saw Arakawa's hand over her mouth and something that looked like a dossier on the screen.

"Akane?"

"I can't believe it…" she whispered.

"What?"

"It…wasn't…for nothing Bando…"

* * *

><p>Ghost cried out as Angel cut a deep gash across his cheek. He pressed his hand to the wound, feeling blood seep from between his fingers. Angel paused then, studying his reaction. Ghost was confused. She could have killed him. Right there. Right that second. Unless of course, she just wanted to torture him to death.<p>

That was probably it. She was going to drag this out as long as she could and there was nothing he could do about it and no one to help him. He had traveled too far away from his own reinforcements. He thought he had been ready for this. Panic threatened to overwhelm him.

"You did not even try to defend yourself," Angel said mockingly, "you at least fired your gun at me last time…while you ran…screaming."

She closed in again with blinding speed. Ghost threw up his arms to mount what was sure to be an ineffectual defense. She swung the knife at his face and he screamed, stumbling backward several steps as she laughed.

"You had somewhere to run that night. There is nowhere to run now. Perhaps this is what drains you of courage so quickly?"

"Please," Ghost found himself begging. He gripped the pistol in his holster tightly, but couldn't make himself draw it upon her. All he could see was the memory of what she had looked like that terrible night. Covered in blood that slid down her flesh and dripped from her fingers, smiling like a wild creature in a bloodlust. She looked more calculating now, but the torn dress and dried blood still gave her a terrifying visage. Especially since he knew what she had done to earn that look. Could nothing stop her?

"_You absolutely disgust me Katsuo. Without me, you'd be nothing! DO SOMETHING!"_

"I became the man I am without you!" Ghost screamed, provoked by the Voice, temporarily forgetting the danger in front of him as his eyes slid to the side, "when did I ever need your bullshit in my head? When did you ever exist before now?"

Angel stopped moving. The sudden stop made Ghost snap to attention, realizing he had just answered the voice out loud.

"Who," Angel said, "are you talking to?"

"I was.."

"Because it wasn't me…" she said, cutting him off, her smile growing wider, "and there's no one else here."

Angel let out a soft chuckle, "perhaps I did more damage than even I had thought," she paused, giving him a considering look, "and I think…perhaps something more."

"Fuck you," Ghost said with equal parts hate and fear, "just…fuck you!"

"There's something different about you," she said as she started to slowly walk towards him. Her voice was inquisitive, curious.

"It's not your fractured mind," she continued, "or maybe…that's part of it."

"What the hell are you fucking talking about!" Ghost said, taking slow steps backward to keep her at a distance.

"Something…feels…different. About you. I want to know what it is."

His mind worked frantically, trying to figure out what she could possibly mean. As he thought about the Voice, his mind suddenly started rushing towards an answer. An answer he instinctively knew, he didn't want.

"Shut up," Ghost screamed. He quickly drew his gun and fired at Angel, who had already rushed him as he'd gone for the weapon. She pushed his gun arm to the side and with sheer might, forced him onto his knees. Ghost had only just realized his vulnerable position when Angel shoved his body again, forcing him onto his back, with Angel straddling him. Fear crawled through him but with each passing moment, he was beginning to realize it was not really Angel that he feared.

She leaned close to his face and he couldn't take his eyes off of her own. Deep red Diclonius eyes. He remembered what eyes like that could look like when filled with laughter.

And familiarity.

"NO!" Ghost screamed, "STOP!"

"When you look in the mirror, you do the same thing everyone else does. If what you see displeases you, you do whatever it takes to prevent that reflection from becoming your reality. But you…you've already accomplished that departure from your true self. When you look in that mirror now, it's just to make sure that truth…isn't…showing."

"Please," Ghost begged, "don't. Just…stop…talking!"

It occurred to him, very suddenly, that he wasn't really afraid of her anymore. He was afraid of something else…lurking inside of him. A memory…of truth. A truth the Voice had hinted at.

"But it is now, isn't it?" Angel said, starting deeply into his eyes, paralyzing him with their fathomless depths and single minded intensity, "that truth is crawling out of you. I feel it…I feel it as certainly as I feel your pulse in my hand and your breath on my face…"

She was even more horrifying than he had remembered her. She looked monstrous and smelled like blood and gunpowder. But the fear of her was being eclipsed by something else…

"Angel…" he said pleadingly, "…I'm begging you…please…"

"Please…what?" she whispered.

"Please…just fucking…kill me…"

But then it was too late. In that moment, the memories came back.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean?" Bando said roughly.<p>

"There was a disaster in that town, which effectively put an end to the project for good. The source was unknown at the time, but Kakuzawa was convinced that some massive psychic event went off in that town like a bomb. It drove the Silpilits living there into a frenzy. Over the course of several days, some twenty to thirty Silpilits rampaged throughout the town, killing and destroying everything in their path. Kakuzawa called for a massive mobilization of S.A.T, but Ryota refused the order and went by himself, claiming that he knew the area better than anyone, and could effectively round up, and put the rampaging Silpilits to death."

"Christ…Ryota fought thirty Silpilits? Alone?"

"And won," she continued, "there were no survivors in the town…save for one that Ryota picked up. A small boy…a child who had wandered the streets unharmed for days, a child who was taken back to the Institute for study and who was eventually discovered to be the source of the psychic event."

Arakawa turned around to stare directly into Bando's eyes, "his name, was Katsuo Rin. The proof of Project: Atavist's success. Do you understand what I'm saying Bando?"

No…

It couldn't be…

"It's Ghost!" Arakawa said, "he's…a…fucking…Diclonius!"

* * *

><p>Ghost's emotions assaulted him; a torrent of fear and pain. His whole world was pain. His whole life defined by it. Pervading though everything…his memories…his childhood…<p>

"_We're prisoners here…because of you."_

A woman's voice, from long ago. So familiar…

"_I don't want to look at you. Fucking animal…"_

"_Mom…I'm scared…what's going to happen to me? Where are we going?"_

"_You're going where you should have gone the second you were born. With them, so they can figure out what you are, and maybe let us go."_

He had known his parents never loved him. He hadn't cared. He had been a child, and they his parents. That was his understanding of the world, and as skewed as that understanding was, he had felt relatively secure in that understanding. But that had been about to fall apart. He couldn't understand why they thought he was so ugly. He didn't even have horns like the girls who were his playmates did. In fact, he didn't really think he was particularly unusual physically, save for the color of his hair being white. It had been other things that seemed to bother his parents. Such as knowing things about them that he had not been told or verbally answering questions that they had not asked aloud. He didn't realize what he was doing. Didn't understand why his parents hated him for doing it

He hadn't shared his parents' view that his friends were ugly. To Katsuo, it was just a fact of life that his friends had these horns. His mother and father hated them. Hated his friends, and hated him. He had been too young to understand what they had been talking about. Too young to understand a couple being forced at gunpoint to raise what they considered an abomination.

But he was old enough to understand the fathomless pain of finally realizing, in a way he hadn't before, just how wretched and alone he was, and how alone he was going to be. Old enough to understand that no matter where he was going, his life was over, and the few things he had learned to care about, would be gone.

It made him despair…

And then it made him angry…

And then the anger turned to rage…

And then he felt his heart twist, violently wrenching out an emotion that would define the rest of his life:

Hatred.

He heard the slap upon his face, but didn't feel the pain. The only thing that existed, was a rage that was threatening to burn out of control. A rage that would never end, or be satisfied. And then, in a single, terrible moment, that rage broke and his mind shattered like glass….

…no…it had actually been glass shattering. All the picture frames and nearby windows. Father's glasses, sending shards of glass into his eyes. Everything else was blurry, and he could just remember screams, and the sounds of bone snapping, flesh tearing.

Then he was alone, amongst the dead. Knowing he had killed them somehow…

It was too much to bear…and he hadn't believed it really happened. He had shut the memory out, preferring to be a scared victim than a monstrous killer.

"I knew it," Angel hissed, a savage smile on her face, "I could feel you getting closer…and when you crawled out of that truck, I almost could not believe it."

She began to laugh softly, and then more loudly until she was almost howling with mocking laughter.

"Of all the ironies I have ever witnessed in life, this is the greatest of them! You…are one of us!"

She succumbed to another fit of laughter, "you…the killer of monsters…are a monster yourself! Perhaps…dare I say…family?"

She laughed again, and then…hatred ignited in him with incredible force and virulence. A force that he could no longer control. His anguish roared through him along with the pain of being unable to deny the truth. The tumult of his agony exploded in him with the final straw of that monster laughing at him.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME YOU GODDAMN BITCH!"

Ghost screamed, lost in a savage rage and felt the air around him pulse as though reality itself had a heartbeat. The sound of it erupted from the walls around him like the sound of a sonic boom. Angel had used her considerable strength to leap away from him at the last moment when he unleashed a powerful wave of force from his mind, shattering window glass in nearby buildings, blowing doors off their hinges, and cracking the pavement around him. In that one, terrible moment, everything came back to him. The knowledge crashed painfully into him, and the truth of what he was burned everything else away.

His whole life, everything he had done, his reasons for being alive. All lies.

Ghost started screaming in anguish, again and again, grabbing his hair in both hands as he contorted his body involuntarily from the shock and disbelief. He couldn't make himself stop screaming…he had lost control.

He…was one of them. He had been one of them all along. He was one of the monsters all this time. He had caused the disaster in his hometown. While it had not been his hand, he knew he was responsible for all of those deaths. He was the worst of all the monsters he had ever killed. All this time…it had been lurking inside of him. He screamed in horror.

"Why?" Ghost screamed, "why didn't you tell me? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

"_You weren't ready to hear it. I thought if I told you too soon, that you would just bury me again. You had to come to it gradually. I knew this was the right time…_

"Fuck you! FUCK YOU! It's not true! I'm not…this can't be happening! This can't be real! I'm not one of them! I'M NOT ONE OF THEM!"

"_All your life, you've run from this Katsuo. You've run from me. But you can't anymore. Can't shut me out like you could before. Now face it! Face me!"_

"NO!" Ghost screamed, still trying to deny it, and being hopelessly unable.

"_We killed your parents…"_

"STOP!"

"_They had it fucking coming! All they had to do was show a little fucking kindness, but that was too goddamn hard for those assholes. And they thought they were just going to get away with all of that bullshit without consequence? Fuck that. You and I gave them exactly what they deserved."_

Through the storm of his anguish, he remembered now. Remembered that Voice he used to talk to that comforted him when he was afraid, or in anguish over the constant, daily hatred that his parents had given him. He couldn't remember when he had first heard it, but it quickly became his closest friend. Towards the end, as his Diclonius friends began to suddenly disappear one by one, the Voice became his only friend.

"No…" Ghost wailed, beginning to sob, "no…why did…what about the rest of it? Why did everyone else have to die? Why did my friends have to lose their minds? Why…"

"_That…was not your fault. You were young, and so was I. We felt the same anger, the same rage. You wanted to lash out and I wanted to help you. I wanted them to pay because you wanted them to pay. I didn't know how bad it was going to be when I threw that door open wide and gave us the strength to avenge ourselves. It was out of control. We gave our endless rage to all those innocent minds. All we wanted to do…was kill. And because it was what we wanted, it was what they wanted."_

"But…why didn't…?"

"_Why didn't they kill us? For the same reason they didn't kill each other. We…were the same. They could feel it. It was the only thing that cut through the rage. Among the humans, they saw only tormenters. Among themselves, they saw only friends."_

Friends. Ghost's eyes opened with realization, "Ryota…killed…them all…my friends. They…"

He screamed again at the realization. He had already shut out the truth of his own responsibility for the destruction of his town. He had felt safety at Ryota's display of skill, and proud of his bravery. Ghost hadn't realized he was watching Ryota murder his friends. One by one. Hadn't realized that for all their power, Ryota was up against brain damaged children. Of course he won against them. What chance did they really have against a warrior experienced in killing those like…

…those like him.

His mind was reeling, and Ghost felt like a stranger to himself. He couldn't quite remember when his voice had grown so hoarse from constant anguished screams, but suddenly the pain forced him into relative silence. He shook and clawed at himself, as though he could simply pull the infection out of his body.

"_You locked the awful shit along with me in the deepest, darkest corner of your memory. You buried me Katsuo, but you didn't kill me. You can't kill me, because I'm a part of you…and you can NEVER…escape that."_

The Voice. That part of him that knew and remembered who he was. And most importantly, what he was. It was doing now, what it had done before. Trying to protect him. Trying to give that power back that he had lost.

"Why…" he whispered in a cracked voice, "why now? Why did…you wait so long…to come…back…?"

"_Because every time you conquered a Diclonius, it was like you were conquering me. Forcing me back down with every kill. It was like you were addicted. You needed that act of violence. It was the ultimate way for you to disassociate yourself from what you really are. Up until now, you were always victorious, and so I remained silent. But that all changed a few days ago…"_

Her. The Beast. She had conquered HIM. She had taken him to a place he hadn't been for so many years. A place where he was surrounded by blood and death; utterly helpless to protect himself. She had woken the Voice with her terrible violence. She…had set him on this path to the truth.

At the thought of Angel, Ghost raised his head slightly and saw her standing before him, some ten feet away, watching him. She did not speak, and she no longer smiled. Her stare was cold, and she looked half alive. In the pale light of the sun, and the cold breeze that blew about the remnants of her dress and tangled hair, she seemed wraithlike and inhuman, but strangely no longer as menacing as she had been before. As they simply watched each other, Ghost couldn't help but find the sight of her familiar. Not in that he had ever known her, but he recognized the displacement of mind and self. A wanderer in a wasteland. A wasteland that was now his own reality.

"I did not want to interrupt," she said with a smile, "you seemed to be in the middle of a rather important conversation."

His old instincts and habits were screaming at him to yell insults, proclaim her death, and draw a weapon against her. But it just seemed so pointless now. He could use none of the words from his old life to reply to her, but not having any words prepared for his new one, he simply remained silent.

"I have known every kind of pain," Angel said slowly, no trace of mockery in her voice now, only haunted shadows, "I have experienced it, watched it, and given it to others. In all the ways a person can be hurt, I believe one stands above all others."

She returned the knife to a rip in her dress which held it like a holster, and began to walk towards him.

"Nothing hurts more…than being born," she said.

When she reached him, she did the unthinkable. She did not attack him, or make any attempt on his life.

She offered her hand.

Something inside of him told Ghost that he could strike out now, and utterly destroy her. She would have no chance, but…how would he "strike" out? He had no idea how to control this strange power, and he still wasn't sure he wanted to. As he moved past this thought, he wondered if he really cared about killing Angel. Most of his reasons for wanting her dead…were not reasons he had ever truly believed in. He was not an exterminator of monsters. He was just another addict who had needed his fix.

Sure, there was revenge on what she had done to him personally but…that…didn't seem so important now.

He reached out, and grasped her hand. Her skin was cold to the touch, and the strength in her grasp belied the slender albeit muscular frame of Angel's body. He could see the phantom muscles coiled intricately through her arms and legs as though they were a part of her. He wondered if she could ever separate flesh from vector now without destroying her body in the process.

She lifted him to his feet and released him, stepping away slowly.

"Why?" he asked with a whisper.

"I want to know what you see, now that there are no more lies shrouding your sight. What remains in your vision?"

What had he been fighting for all this time? Nothing. That was the answer. He had been fighting for nothing. He had killed in order to keep his past buried, but that was not a cause. Certainly not one worth fighting for, especially now that his past had dug itself up from the grave. It would not be going back.

He had believed the Diclonius were monsters, deserving of being purged from the world. In some ways, he still believed that. Perhaps especially now. Creatures like him, and Angel, deserved to be destroyed, but who was he to be that executioner now? He could try and return to his old life. He could try to pick up where he left off but it would be a lie. A lie he would be unable to live.

And what about Ryota? He had known all this time what Ghost was, but had never told him. Ryota had slaughtered the only friends he had ever known, right before his eyes. That it happened so many years ago mattered nothing. The reclaimed knowledge made it feel like it had happened only moments ago, and he mourned for those that he, and Ryota, had destroyed together. If only Ghost had been stronger. If only he hadn't shut out the truth, could he have saved them? Did they really have to die?

Ryota would have the answer to that. He was the only one with that answer. Ghost was going to get it…even if he had to tear it out of his lying, murdering guts.

Ghost closed his eyes, as tears escaped them. He hadn't really meant that did he? Kill Ryota? Even now, he still felt like a father to Ghost. He'd been more a father to him than his real father. It wasn't fair that Ghost had to suffer constantly without reprieve. It wasn't fair that…

Ghost's eyes opened as anger swept through him. He saw Angel take notice and cock her head curiously but he said nothing.

Bando. Why did he get to have the things in life that Ghost deserved, and was deprived? Why was he the one to have respect from so many even though Ghost had fought his entire life to earn it? Why did Ryota treat him more like a son than Ghost, even though that son of a bitch hadn't been in Ryota's life for almost a decade? And why the FUCK did Bando deserve to have someone who loved him, when Ghost had nothing? Hadn't he earned the right to some shred of happiness? Hadn't he suffered enough? Was it because Bando was human and he was…

…a monster?

Rage clouded his vision. That motherfucker…was living…the life…that rightfully belonged to him.

No…he had stolen it somehow. Made it his own, and left Ghost with the pain. It wasn't right. So much of it wasn't right.

But he could make it right. He could do that. THAT…was worth fighting for.

"You want to know what I see?" Ghost said quietly, and colored by virulent hatred, "I see a world full of liars and thieves."

"So," she said with a small, satisfied smile, "you see with my eyes."

He was so angry he wanted to bring down the buildings around him. He wanted to tear the flesh from every person who had a home where they were welcome. He wanted to reduce the city around him to ashes so no one would have anything to go back to. Just like he didn't. He wanted people to feel the way he felt. To…

And then he understood. He knew why she did not try to kill him when she had the chance a moment ago.

"Yes," he said in a whisper, "I…do."

She remained a moment longer, then turned away from him and started walking.

"Wait," he said, not believing he'd said it, "where…are you going? What are you going to do?"

"To where I parked your supply truck," she said, "I'm keeping it. I did not think you would mind."

He had noticed a missing vehicle when he'd arrived at the destruction of the convoy. It was strange actually when he thought about it. He hadn't known about a resupply to any of the outposts, but then again he had only assumed command very recently. Considering who the thief was, Ghost was almost sure that there were weapons in that truck Angel took.

"And then?" he asked. She stopped moving but did not turn around.

"She can't see it yet," she replied, "what you see, and what I see. But only because she thinks she has so much to lose."

She turned her head to regard Ghost, "you…I'm guessing…had nothing to lose."

He remained silent, allowing the silence to answer his question. But who was she…

"You're talking about Lucy, aren't you?" he said, not really knowing how he knew that. It had just come to him suddenly like a bright flash of light shocked the senses of a person in a dark room. It was a focused thought that had such conflicting emotions attached to it that the answer seemed to force itself into his mind. He knew this was his power manifesting without his input or control. It was like it had been before, when he was still so young.

Angel stared at him a moment longer, then looked away.

"She's wrong," Angel said with a growl, "it isn't just me who can see things, and people, for the way they truly are. I…had been…conflicted…about that after last night."

Ghost remained silent as Angel paused.

"How fortuitous," she continued, "that you found me. Watching your rebirth…and knowing you see the world as I do, I am no longer so conflicted. I know that I am right. She will see that too."

"And then?" he asked, "what happens then?"

She went silent, though he was not sure if it was because she didn't have an answer, or simply did not want to give him one.

She was lying. He knew that. She was lying about her conflict. He could feel it in her like a savage war for control of her mind. He wasn't really sure what the conflict was about, but he could almost hear the whispers of names and the ghostly images of faces that weren't there. One in particular stood out.

"What does Vanith have to do with any of this?" he asked her. He had blurted the words out from the shock of realizing he occupied a large part of her mind.

She whirled around to face him, and suddenly everything simply shut off. He could see nothing, feel nothing. It was as though she realized what he was doing, and just…closed her mind. She did not provide an answer for this question either, though it had clearly unbalanced her.

"He's there you know," Ghost said, "at the hospital."

Nothing. No response.

"You're going there, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes."

So she had her own circle to close. That, he understood.

"Going to try and stop me?" Angel said, mockery coming back into her tone.

It was a fair question. When he rejoined the unit, his mission would still be to capture her. At the moment, he didn't feel an overwhelming need to fight with her, and try as he might, he could not dredge up the old hatred that had often propelled his violence against the Diclonius. Finding out that he himself was a Diclonius…sort of took wind out of his sails in that regard. But, in the end he was still a soldier. And a soldier, had a job to do.

"Only if you get in my way," Ghost said simply, "we go our separate ways now, but if I see you again…"

"Fair enough," she replied.

With that she began to walk away. Ghost didn't follow, or try to surprise her with a bullet, though he was rather sure he could if he'd wanted. He needed time to think, and there were other memories slowly coming back to him as well. He just…needed…

"_Relax Katsuo. Worst of it is over. I'm not going to ditch on you now."_

"Thank you…" he whispered.

"_Still think you should have wasted that bitch. She made a fool of us back at the facility. I fucking hope you don't intend to just let that slide."_

"Then show me how," he said, "help me remember what I've forgotten…and the next time we see her…we bury her."

He felt an aura of approval from somewhere in his mind. Ghost turned around and started walking in the other direction, back towards where he knew his men would be.

"_And what are we going to do about Ryota? Now that you know the truth about him?"_

"I don't know," he said truthfully, "I just…need to…talk to him…I…"

"_Alright, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it…but Bando?"_

"Is fucking dead…" Ghost said with finality. There was something oddly comforting in realizing that even through this awful revelation, that mission remained unchanged, as did his reasons for wanting him dead. Though perhaps now, he wanted it a little more than he did before. Bando had no idea what he would be facing the next time they met.

"_You're goddamn right about that. Nothing can stop us now. We could bring this whole world of hypocrites and liars right the fuck down to its knees if we wanted. I'll show you how, like I tried to show you then."_

Hypocrites…he almost laughed at the word. He was the biggest hypocrite of them all. If he didn't deserve to live for that reason, than neither did anyone else.

"Alright…then talk to me. I'm listening."

Perhaps bringing the world to it's knees was too ambitious a goal, but at least he could drag a few people to hell with him that deserved to burn. Besides, from what he had felt of Angel's depthless rage, he was pretty sure that if there was a way to burn the world to ashes, Angel would find it. There was enough hate in that woman to breed doom for every man, woman, and child on Earth.

And if there was anything Ghost understood…it was hatred.

* * *

><p>The shock of the revelation almost made Bando deaf to Lucy's sudden cry.<p>

"Ahhhh! Fuck!" Lucy screamed from beside Bando, snapping him out of his shock. She had just finished collapsing the backseat so that Bando could have more room to fire from the back windows when she clutched at her head and screamed.

"Lucy!" Bando called out, "what's happening?"

"Christ…" she breathed, grabbing fistfuls of her hair and curling into a ball, "can't…think…something big just…I can't explain it. Can't focus…"

"Guys!" Takashi called out from the front seat, "we're in trouble!"

Bando turned from Lucy and grabbed the front seats to haul himself closer. What he saw made the breath catch in his lungs. They had just turned a corner with some speed to reveal the shocking scene of an intersection heavily fortified with soldiers, and two tanks. Off to the side, Bando could see men with RPGs positioned upon rooftops that were taking aim.

"Holy shit!" Bando yelled, "Takashi, get us the fuck out of here!"

"Hang on!" he cried out as he frantically swerved the vehicle into a u-turn. He slammed on the gas, taking them in the other direction just as the first rockets hit their marks, perilously close behind them. Arakawa screamed as shrapnel flung against the truck and the windows, shattering the back windows, and jostling the vehicle. Bando picked his head up from cover to look behind them and saw three humvees detach from the barricade to give chase.

"What the fuck were they doing there?" Bando yelled, "were they goddamn waiting for us?"

"Dammit!" Takashi exclaimed, "I was hoping I was wrong!"

"What?"

"Those soldiers back at the inn, they weren't meant to stop us. They were only buying time for this barricade…"

"And?" Bando prompted him, hearing something unsaid in his words.

"…and I have a bad feeling that this isn't the only barricade. We're cut off from the hospital. I'd wager every major intersection between us and the hospital are similarly fortified…Bando…we're in trouble."

"Shit," Bando said, grabbing one of the assault rifles in the back. He looked over to Lucy who seemed to be recovering.

"Lucy, are you alright?"

She took a deep breath to steady herself before glancing at Bando, "I'm fine, it's passed."

"Good, because we're in a world of shit. We're cut off from the hospital and we've got a heavy tail. We've got no choice but to fight our way out. You ready for this?"

Lucy looked towards the approaching vehicles, her eyes slowly becoming hard set.

"They won't keep me from Kouta," she whispered darkly, "nothing will."

Bando shoved a rifle into her hands and crawled into the backseat, clearing away some of the broken glass.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said roughly, "now get back here and let's fucking do this! We've got to keep them off us. If they get a round into one of the tires, we're done. Can you block their shots?"

"Going to be difficult with the moving vehicles but I'll do what I can."

He nodded, then motioned towards Takashi, "Takashi, hit all the intersections! Keep moving and get a call out to Ryota for backup!"

"Already sent it out before we hit the first barricade," he yelled back, "but I'll update him with our current sitrep. What's the plan in the meantime?"

Bando chambered a round into his rifle, Lucy following suit.

"The plan is decimation, I want to drain their barricade's defenses on every fortification. We'll pick off their pursuit squads and have Ryota hit those motherfuckers hard in one of the barricades. All their backup will be too busy chasing us to save their asses when Ryota fucks a hole through their perimeter," he said, "once you find out where Ryota's attack is being concentrated, take us to that barricade and we'll hammer them from the other direction. These assholes have no idea who they're fucking with!"

"No," Lucy replied coldly, bracing herself and aiming her rifle out of the window, "they really don't."

Bando's mouth turned upward in a small smile as he took aim. Soldiers began leaning out of their windows, rifles drawn, preparing to fire.

_I'm coming Mayu…_

"Target the drivers! Open fire!" Bando screamed.

They pulled the triggers and gunfire roared.


	39. Walking the Roads of Violence

**AN: A note on the geography: I had previously decided the hospital that serves as the primary gathering place for the characters, was a place called Fujisawa Hospital. Not sure why I'd chosen that one now, as it seems quite far from where I'd prefer the story environment to actually be. Which is in, of course, Kamakura. In this chapter, I've moved that location to Kamakura Hospital...which seems like that should have been an obvious thing to do :P**

**Anyway, I'll be going back to previous chapters and changing any instances of "Fujisawa" to the new location. These instances would begin at the chapter "Ashes". I may not have the time to comb through and find every instance, but if you guys see some, please PM me where they are, so I can swap them.  
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**Anyway, here is part two of the chapter. Enjoy!  
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**Edit: I forgot the page breaks when I uploaded the chapter. They've been included now so that could fix the confusion. Sorry to anyone who read it before the fix.  
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* * *

><p>There was nothing. Nothing but the empty streets, the lonely sound of wind passing between buildings, and…the silence…<p>

Ghost walked numbly in the middle of the street, knowing it would not matter here. There wasn't going to be traffic in this sector as it had already been completely evacuated. Most of the citizens were concentrated further in the city. Out here, there was only silence, and it reminded him so much of those awful days he had spent wandering his hometown's bloody streets. The thing that had prevailed most in his memory, had been awful silence, the desolate sound of wind, and rustling papers. The quiet had not been comforting back then, as Ghost had believed the monsters were simply hiding in the shadows. Just waiting to jump out and kill him too.

If only he'd known. If only he had been stronger. Maybe he would have reached out to them instead of hide. He was the one who had destroyed their minds. Could he have fixed them too? Could he have saved them?

He couldn't stop thinking about the one child who had spoken to him. He had been terrified of her. She had been terrified of herself. Back then, he had sensed that weakness in her, and it allowed some of his hatred to seep through. He had wanted her to die…in fact…he had wanted her to kill herself.

Could…he have been responsible for that somehow? Did he somehow…MAKE her…do it?

"_Not in the way you think Katsuo."_

He faltered a step, shocked out of his thoughts by the sudden reappearance of the Voice. For the past few minutes, it had simply let him wander in silent contemplation.

"What…do you mean?" he asked.

"_We cannot control the mind of another. Though…influence…is probably a better word."_

"I don't understand…"

"_What we left upon the children, was more of an imprint of our thoughts and feelings in that moment where we took our vengeance upon our bastard parents. It was like a violent snapshot, full of all our rage and hatred. The unique thing about this snapshot, was that its image became imprinted in their minds. Minds, which were too underdeveloped to separate their identity from ours. So when that snapshot entered their minds, the mark was powerful enough to replace their developing personal identities…with an image of our pain…and a desire for retribution. They did not know better to question it. When the imprint had faded…the killing urge remained, but not the bloodlust."_

Ghost felt a numb sort of sickness at hearing the nature of what he had done. They had wanted to stop killing, but couldn't, and hadn't understood why they couldn't stop. He remembered the laughter in the streets. It hadn't been sadistic delight. They had simply forgotten that the things they were doing were horrible. Some…had remembered however. Like that girl…

"How…did I kill her?" Ghost asked in a hollow voice.

"_Because Katsuo…you wanted it bad enough. And because you wanted it…she wanted it too."_

"No!" Ghost exclaimed as he stopped walking, looking around for a physical presence to shout at, and knowing he wouldn't one.

"That isn't true! She was smiling! She was talking like…she…didn't know it was coming! It had to have been me!"

"_Why wouldn't she have been smiling? She wanted to be friends and was doing what your unchecked thoughts were telling her you wanted. She did not understand what it meant to die. She didn't understand that she…"_

"Stop!" Ghost screamed into the air, the sound carrying in the eerie silence. He didn't want to hear any more. He felt himself starting to panic again, unable to come to grips with the truth inside himself.

"_Alright…I can see this is still a sore subject for you Katsuo. We can drop it. I've said all that needs to be said, but let me tell you something. It is past time for you to man the fuck up about this. This is reality and it is time for you to accept that what we are does not make us less than human. It makes us greater than them. We're above them, beyond them. They would destroy us now, not because of some legitimate threat we would pose. They'd do it simply because they'd be scared shitless of us, and nothing more. That's humanity. Right there. A bunch of frightened insects whose fear controls their every move. It builds their sad, pathetic worlds, and they are supposed to be better than us? Fucking please…"_

Fear. Of all people, Ghost understood just how powerful fear could be. It had indeed wrote the story of his life. What could he have been if the disaster had never happened? If he had not been paralyzed wholly with the fear of what he was? Fear of himself had led him to destroy…his own kind.

He was still getting used to the idea of that. Belonging to a race that wasn't human, and thinking of himself in those terms. He couldn't seem to stop imagining himself as simply…inhuman.

"_Stop fighting with this Katsuo…"_

"I'm not," Ghost said in a dead tone.

"_You are."_

"And what makes you say that?"

"_Because you're still holding back from yourself. Don't you want to know the rest of it? Why your fate was as a soldier, and not a test subject?"_

He stopped walking, realizing that he hadn't thought of that. The shock of knowing what he was, had shoved everything else to the back of his mind but…now…

He sank to his knees, as the Voice sent memories flooding into his mind. He tried to shut them out fruitlessly, but could see only Ryota's face…staring down with shame, guilt…and pity…

* * *

><p>Bando braced himself as Takashi tore around a corner with screeching tires. The vehicle fishtailed slightly as he regained control and Bando refocused his aim. The soldiers in the vehicles chasing them fired, and stray bullets clanged off of the door, causing Bando's stomach to tighten. He forced down the anxiety and returned fire, looking over at Lucy who seemed to have more trouble than she should with making her shots count.<p>

"Lucy! Stop screwing around! You're wasting ammo!"

"Fuck you asshole!" she screamed, obviously carried away in a storm of adrenaline, but her sudden anger seemed to focus her somewhat. Good.

"Fire in short bursts! Longer than two seconds and your aim goes to shit!" He said, pulling the trigger to unleash another storm of bullets at their pursuers.

He grinned darkly as he saw one of the windshields sprout bullet holes, followed by a red splash. The pursuer's vehicle spun out of control and the car behind it barely dodged the vehicle before it struck an object hard enough to flip multiple times. The soldier who had been firing at them from the car was yanked under it, becoming crushed on the second flip right as the gas tank exploded in a gout of flame.

"HA!" Bando screamed, feeling a rush of adrenaline surge through his veins. He almost hated to admit it, but he felt alive and back in his element. This was what he had once lived for, and if he could be honest with himself…he had missed this.

"One down back here!" Bando called out.

"That's good news," Takashi answered, "because we just hit barricade number two….heads up! Two more incoming!"

In a blur of motion and screeching tires, two more pursuit cars joined the chase. One of them leaned out of the window wielding an RPG launcher.

"Shit!" Bando exclaimed, "Takashi! Brace for impact!"

"No…" Lucy growled as the soldier fired the rocket.

Bando stared with horror as the rocket sped towards them in what would be a direct hit. They would all die. The moment it hit, they would all die instantly.

At the last moment, the rocket abruptly spun around in mid flight, and sailed back to their pursuers. The rocket exploded in their midst, blasting the lead vehicle off the road and causing the second to slam on their brakes as it's front windshield was completely shattered. The third car rammed past the second one as it began to spin out of control. The force of the impact sent that second car spinning in the other direction where it eventually tipped over.

"That's two for me," Lucy said, giving Bando a sideways glance. Bando couldn't help it. He laughed.

"What about this is funny?" Arakawa screeched from the front seat.

"We just got our asses saved. Fuck me for being a little happy about that," Bando said, taking aim once again.

"Well don't celebrate just yet," Takashi said, "coming up on barricade…damn! Their pursuit team already detached! We're heading straight for them!"

Both directions. If the ones in front managed to get a bullet in Takashi…

"Lucy!" Bando yelled.

She dropped her rifle immediately and crawled to the front seat as Bando began firing at the enemy behind them.

_Come on Ryota…get us out of here…_

* * *

><p>"<em>Why are they doing this?"<em> Katsuo had asked him, frightened and confused. All he knew was that he had survived an ordeal worse than hell, and was now being treated like some carrier of disease. Locked away with limited human contact. It had been five days since he had seen anyone's face, or heard anyone's voice that wasn't through a speaker. When he had asked the cold, digital, disembodied voice the reason why he was secluded, the only answer he had been given was that it was for their own protection. Protection? Why did they need protection from him? He had decided that it must be because they thought he had some kind of contagious disease. The idea that he was diseased had stuck with him most profoundly. But then…why were they letting Ryota see him?

"_Am I sick?_" Katsuo had asked. He was glad to see Ryota again. Ryota had delivered him from the monsters with a kind of strength and power he had never seen in his life. Katsuo wanted that strength for himself. Would Ryota show him how to obtain it?

"_You…do not remember?"_ Ryota said to him.

"_Remember what?" _Katsuo asked, confused.

"_How your parents died," _Ryota said solemnly, _"do you remember that?"_

Hate had seeped into his heart at the memory.

"_Yes…" _he replied, _"those monsters took them away."_

Ryota had looked at him strangely. What was going on?

"_Katsuo," _he said gently, _"that is not what happened."_

"_YES IT IS!" _he had shouted vehemently, a strange mix of panic and anger boiling up within him that he didn't understand, _"I was there when they did it! They killed them! They killed them both! And then they killed everyone else!"_

Ryota had only stared at him then, for a long while. Why was he feeling so panicky? Why was Ryota trying to tell him his memories were not the truth? Why wouldn't he get him out of this awful, lonely place?

"_Ryota…I don't want to stay here. I haven't seen anyone in days and no one will tell me why I'm here. Please…tell me why I'm here?"_

"_You're here because you're…different…Katsuo. These men want to know how different you are."_

Different? He hadn't felt different. What could they possibly want to know about him? They hadn't even asked him questions. Just drugged him until he didn't know where he was, and there was one time they…

"_They chained me up yesterday," _Katsuo said, his lower lip trembling, _"put me in front of this machine…"_

"_Christ…"_ Ryota said, his eyes closing, _"those fools…"_

His tone was encouraging. He was clearly disgusted. He must have known what they had done and he obviously disapproved. Ryota had turned back towards him.

"_I know this will be difficult for you, but you must trust me Katsuo. I will see to it that you are freed from these walls. I did not take you from that town to deliver you into more pain…I simply never expected…"_

He sighed, covering his face with one hand. He looked like a man struggling under a crushing burden that Katsuo couldn't see or touch. This strong, brave, invincible man was crumbling under the weight of some unseen force. Well, if he could shoulder such a terrible weight, whatever it was, then Katsuo could shoulder his own. If he wished to be strong like Ryota, the time to begin learning how, was in this moment.

"_Ryota…it's ok," _he said, _"I'll…be ok. I can take it. I can be strong. You don't have to worry about me."_

He had been the only one to survive that terrible slaughter, but in a way, perhaps he hadn't. Maybe Katsuo was really still back there dead, and he was just a ghost. Walking around in his body.

"_What did you say?" _Ryota had said. Apparently, Katsuo had muttered his thoughts aloud.

"_Katsuo's gone,"_ he said, beginning to adopt this new idea that he was an entity different from the one who had spent so long paralyzed with fear, _"he's dead too. I'm his ghost. You can't hurt ghosts, and you can't scare ghosts."_

"_That's because a spirit is departed from this world Katsuo. It is a memory of strength and courage, not an embodiment of it. It does no good to dwell on death in such a way child."_

Dwell on it? If that was what it was to be a ghost, then he wouldn't simply dwell on it. He would become it. Master it. Conquer it. Ryota had done those things. It was how he had been able to prevail that day. Katsuo never wanted to be afraid ever again. Somehow, he would learn. He would find a way to be something that even the monsters would fear. Maybe not now because he was small, young, and weak, but he would not be small, young and weak forever.

"_Don't call me that," _Katsuo said in a low, strangled voice, filled with anger as he solidified the separate entity in his mind, shutting the other one out, locking it away and throwing away the key. From now on, he wouldn't be afraid anymore. He would prove to Ryota, and to himself, that he was different now.

"_Call you what?" _Ryota said to him in a quizzical tone.

"_Don't call me Katsuo, he's not me anymore. I don't want to be like him…I want to be like you."_

"_Katsuo…"_

"_Ghost," _he said quickly, meaning to say 'I'm a ghost' but having only gotten the word 'ghost' out. As it had left his lips, he realized he liked the sound of it as a name. He wasn't simply a ghost. What had Ryota said about spirits? They were memories of strength and courage? He would become that memory made flesh.

"_Call me…Ghost. I want you to call me that."_

_I need you to call me that…_

Ryota fell silent, once again regarding him for a long time. Katsuo could almost feel his thoughts. He could feel the guilt and emotional pain radiating from this man. Suddenly, as he had locked the last of old self away, those feelings vanished as though they had never existed, and Katsuo had immediately forgotten what they even felt like.

"_As you wish…Ghost…"_

* * *

><p>"Drive through them!" Lucy shouted, her voice thick with rage. These bastards of the Institute had been the architects of so much pain and misery in her life and the lives of those she cared for. At Takashi's urging, she tried to put aside that anger towards them. These men however, were exempt from Takashi's mercy, and by extension, her own.<p>

And Lucy had been waiting a long, long time to release some of that pent up rage. How unfortunate for them.

"Lucy…" Takashi said in a confused tone, full of worry and rising panic.

Lucy braced herself and gripped the arms of both seats.

"Do you trust me Takashi?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation.

"Then step on it!"

Takashi slammed on the gas, careening straight for the five vehicles that had them cut off. Lucy tuned out the sound of gunfire at her back to focus on the scene before her. She snaked all four vectors out of the front windows, protecting the windshield from incoming rifle fire. As the two parties rushed ever closer to one another, most of the pursuit cars broke off from the lethal game of chicken. One, it seemed, was going to call their bluff.

"Lucy!" Takashi shouted.

She poured all of her concentration into what she was about to do. She would get one chance, but if they succeeded, they would completely lose their forward pursuers. The two cars got closer…closer.

Lucy screamed in fury as she solidified her vectors to the consistency of steel, forming a ramp. As the other car approached, she yanked her vectors skyward with all the strength she possessed, bending part of their own vehicle's roof as the sudden lift pushed against the steel. The move had the desired effect as the enemy vehicle sailed into the air from both the lift of her vectors, and was carried further upward from having rushed into a phantom incline. The car flipped in midair, landing upside down behind them, glass exploding outward at impact. The car that had been pursuing them, not expecting the sudden appearance of the tossed vehicle, slammed into it at full speed. The other vehicles desperately tried to turn around to give chase, but Takashi was already leaving them well behind.

"Hooolly shit!" Bando shouted.

"I'll…second that," Takashi said, somewhat breathlessly, "Lucy did we have to be so dramatic?"

"As a matter of fact," she replied, "we did. It bought us more time than trying to weave through them might have done…"

"…and?" Takashi asked, sensing that she hadn't completed her thought.

"And…" Lucy said, "I wanted them to see it for themselves."

"See what?"

"That they have no chance of stopping us…"

Bando laughed, and repositioned himself at the window.

"Got it!" Arakawa called out from the passenger seat.

"Got what?" Bando yelled from the back.

"I've got their radio frequency. Took some doing but I isolated it and have it patched through to the computer here. We've got a live feed on all their moves."

"You're kidding?" Takashi said, "I didn't realize scientists were trained in espionage."

"We're not," she said hotly, "but you learn a few things when a twisted government organization keeps you imprisoned for long enough. Some people learn Morse code. I learned a thing or two about radio frequencies."

She turned up the volume on the radio and they immediately heard frantic radio chatter.

"_Fuck! We lost the target! Site 4, they're heading your way, are the charges placed yet?"_

"_Affirmative. Let them come through. When they hit the bridge, we'll blow it and drown those motherfuckers."_

"Dammit!" Bando yelled, "Takashi, do we have a way out of here? We can't turn around. There's a fucking stampede behind us!"

"Only one that's going to give us a shot past most of the barricades!"

"Oh god," Arakawa said, "not the highway…"

"We can take 21 to 134. It'll only be a mile until we hit 32 and Kamakura Hospital is right off of that road. It'll swing us around most of the American's perimeter. You got a better idea?"

"Yeah," Arakawa snapped, "a last stand! Those highways are a deathtrap at the speeds we're going!"

"This area is mostly evacuated, only 'traffic' will be the Institute!"

"On a two lane highway!"

"We're not much better off now!"

"Fuck it!" Bando screamed, "get us off this Takashi!"

Lucy turned around to see their pursuers from before turn the corner far behind them as Takashi made a hard turn onto the highway, and sped off.

"Well…" Takashi said, "we're committed. The rest…is up to fate."

After a few moments of tense silence, it was broken by the sight of their pursuers entering the highway behind them, and the enemy's radio crackling.

"_This is Site 4 to Site 6, targets have changed course. They're southbound on 21, heading for 134. Pursuit teams have reacquired the target, and we expect they'll be heading straight for you. Prepare for incoming hostiles."_

"_Copy that. Rerouting other teams to block off the exits. We got em…"_

"Akane," Takashi said slowly, "I'm afraid you're going to get that last stand…"

* * *

><p>He was a teenager with a gun in his hand. It would become such a familiar thing that he would spend much of his life swearing that he had been born on a killing field. He lived and breathed the gun. It's heartbeat was kinetic energy and its spark of life the muzzle flash. Its language was death, and it spoke his mind with every pull of the trigger. The recoil from each shot vibrated in his hands, through his arms, into the core of him, and dispersed within his mind.<p>

One shot, two, three, a hundred, a thousand…

Each bullet killing a small memory.

One bullet killed the tests.

Another bullet killed the pain.

A spent magazine killed the fear and the loneliness.

Take a breath, sight your target. Touch the trigger and focus. Exhale and squeeze. The procedure of death. Reload and fill your mind with the sound of the clip slapping into the gun. Chamber the round and the click erases a few months. What happened in those months? Can't remember very well…

Something about being "burnt out" and useless as a test su…

Aim, shoot, reload. Hunt the monsters, take their lives. Stick to the mission, follow orders. Stay focused, maintain your discipline.

What did Ryota mean…"burnt out"? It was important that the Director believed it. Why was that important?

Now he was a failure, and you know what we do with failures right? Wait…we?

That's right. It was no longer "they". He had crossed the threshold that separated "they" and "we".

"_I am an Institute soldier," _Ghost muttered from some plane of consciousness he couldn't define, _"and we destroy failures."_

"_I don't understand!" _came the frightened voice from the other end of his gun. The voice of a child…reminding him of…

Aim, shoot, reload. Call in the cleanup crew to wipe up another Diclonius corpse. Ghost had long stopped counting the bodies. They were all one giant, faceless mass of desperate pleadings. Bloodstained hands stretched out towards him in supplication. Fuck em. Kill them all. They were born with this coming to them. It was only a matter of time…

Time…he was losing time, memories. Were they really memories? More like distant feelings, fantasies really, of what it might have been like to have been born a Diclonius child who had destroyed everyone in his…

Three more dead, three more months. Or was it a year gone? He couldn't recall how much time had been lost, or that he was losing it. That's why they had him seeing an in house psychologist right? Because they thought he was losing it? That was what he meant by "losing it" right? He couldn't seem to get his thoughts in proper order. What did they want to know anyway?

Oh, that's right. Director Kakuzawa had insisted. Wanted to know if there were signs of a "reemergence", whatever the hell that was. Kept it quiet, and told Ghost to keep his visits to the doctor a private affair. As if he had really needed to give that order to Ghost. He wasn't about to let the men find out that he was seeing some fuckin shrink. They'd think he was crazy. Wouldn't respect him anymore.

Ryota knew about it, but that was different. Ryota had been there at the very beginning, when he was still alone and afraid. Ryota knew him better than anyone. That was why he had implored the Director to allow him to live as a…normal person? Why would he say something so strange? Kakuzawa was against it at first, said it was preposterous. Did they really think they could live and work alongside a…

Years go by in the flash of a gun firing its burning anger into the dark. Messengers of hatred delivering their judgment upon the terrors that stalked the night. Things were different now. He was a man now, and more than that, a weapon to be unleashed against the Demons. He squeezed the cold steel of the gun, preparing to shatter the quiet with a storm of violence.

He could see them reaching for him. They reached for all of humanity and when their fingers became woven into human lives, they took those lives with them. Laughing all the while. He alone saw through their façade to the ugliness within. Their hands could not touch him, for he marked their path as ropes of light. There was something almost beautiful about that image. Reminding him of his old fri…

Take a breath, sight your target. Nothing exists but the crosshairs, and the target. Nothing in life matters but the kill. That wasn't always true was it? He was a child once wasn't he? His mind was not always focused on destroying others. How did he get here? How did this become his life?

That's right. The monsters tore through his home and destroyed everything. Ryota rescued him and took care of him as he grew up. Killing the monsters had brought him deliverance. If it could be true for him than surely it was true for others. The Diclonius were a sickness that needed to be purged. That was what he had said. Those his exact words at the moment of Kakuzawa's refusal to let him train in S.A.T.

"_They destroyed my life sir," _he had said, keeping his tone carefully neutral and professional, as was fitting when addressing a superior officer, _"they're a plague…a sickness to be purged. I understand that better than anyone. I'm only alive today because of The Institute. I want to give back to that. I want to fight! Please let me fight! I won't let you down…you'll see."_

There had been a strange moment of silence as both Ryota and Kakuzawa stared into him. It was as though they were trying desperately to find something in him, and being unable to locate it. Ryota had turned to Kakuzawa and spoke.

"_You can see…he wishes to remain within the Institute. You understand Director? His ties are not physical, rather his own desire that he be allowed to stay here. Surely you can see how invaluable this scenario is? There is no need to…"_

He had left the rest unspoken. No need to what? Something told him he didn't really want the answer to that.

"_Perhaps…" _Kakuzawa said, while looking askance towards Ghost, _"perhaps you are right Commander. Very well…get him processed and he's all yours." _he had said with a calculating grin.

NO. NEED. TO. WHAT?

"_Terminate…us," _said the Voice from a distant corner of his mind. Resurfacing as his vision began to clear and Ghost realized he was standing on an empty street, in a part of the city he didn't know. Looking around he could see no landmarks from when he had first gone into his haze of visions and memories. He had no way to know where he was. He started walking again, not caring where he went.

"_That's what they were discussing Katsuo. Whether or not to destroy you now that you had been deemed…'burnt out'. Once you locked me away, you locked everything away. All the evidence there ever was that I ever existed in your mind was just…blank. Because you had done that, they could not find me. You were allowed to live so long as a test subject because that old fool was so fucking hopeful that you would reawaken, and provide the missing key. He wanted to be what we are."_

They had casually discussed his fate. His life or his death. He understood. He had so casually judged who lived and who died so many times himself. As a man under judgment, he could accept it, but they had not been speaking of him as a man. He was rated little more than a useless sub-human creature up for disposal.

"_They were wrong Katsuo. We are not less than human. We are so much more."_

So few in the Institute had ever truly known what he was. They had been kept quiet. Kakuzawa had always been good about that…keeping things quiet. At least up until the end, when Lucy entered their lives and put them on the map in quite an uncomfortable way. Somehow though, he knew. Ryota had been doing whatever he could to prevent the memories from coming back in the director's stead. Perhaps Ryota knew those memories would destroy him.

…or maybe…Ryota was afraid. Afraid of him.

"_Ryota kept you blind to the truth and deaf to my voice. You may have buried me, but he made sure I stayed buried. Now that I'm back from the dead…what do you think he's going to do?"_

"I…don't know," Ghost said.

"_He'll try to bury the both of us Katsuo. Deep down, you know it. Just like you know what you have to do. What…we…have to do."_

He did…

But still…he wanted to hear the truth from Ryota's lips.

Distantly, he heard the sound of explosions and gunfire. Echoes of his old life. They didn't seem too far off. The sounds were familiar, and that familiarity drew him. Like a moth to the flame.

"_Got a long walk Katsuo…"_

"Yeah. We do."

"_So let's get moving. Start walking and I'll help you remember what you've forgotten. I will show you how to wield The Voice…"_

So…the Voice was more than a presence. It was a weapon. His weapon. He started walking, and prepared himself to learn a new language of death.

* * *

><p>Lucy stared ahead as the buildings rushed past them, feeling the end of the road coming with the inexorability of an oncoming train. She was steeling herself for what would surely be a terrible struggle. Come what may, they had to survive. She at least, would not let herself die here.<p>

She looked around the car. All looked like they were preparing to die. Bando, at least, seemed less distraught at the notion, but she supposed that was his way. He had thrown himself against her enough times for her to know that death did not scare him. She was just beginning to respect him and it seemed like such a waste. It just couldn't end this way.

She looked at Takashi, who's face was grim set. His hands were gripped tightly on the steering wheel.

"Takashi," she said, gently but loud enough to be heard over the sound of wind.

"Lucy…I'm sorry. I should never have agreed to this…never should have taken you out here…"

"No…don't do that. You had no way of knowing things were going to turn out this way. You've done what you thought best."

"Would you two…" Bando barked from the backseat, "stop talking like we're already dead? I don't know about you guys, but I plan to walk away from this. If you sit there already writing your eulogies, you're going to succumb to defeat before this even goes down. You assholes are NOT going to get me killed so get your fucking heads in the game! Got it?"

Bando pointed ahead of them, "Lucy, do you think you can plow through the barricade?"

"If it's anything like the one's we've seen, I don't think I could do it. Not with us going this fast. Those are tanks and troop trucks they've got parked on those intersections. Even if we slowed down, I could never get us through before we got overwhelmed."

"Come on, you threw a damn boat at me once…"

"And that was a little heavy…Bando," she said irritably, "and I was standing still besides."

"Three minutes," Takashi shouted, "until we enter their kill zone."

Lucy looked behind them at the disheartening sight of an army of pursuit vehicles that had joined the chase at various areas along the highway. Some had been hidden, hoping they'd take the narrow exits, and become trapped in the side streets. Takashi hadn't taken the bait, and those vehicles simply pulled out to add to the growing storm gathering behind them. Thankfully, they were too far back to shoot at their car. Of course, they knew they wouldn't have to. As soon as they hit the barricade…

She steeled herself. Two minutes.

"Alright guys," Bando said, "this is it. Lucy?"

"I'll cover us from the front. I can stop any gunfire they throw at us…from the front…"

"Right," Bando said, "that gives us about fifteen seconds to do as much damage as possible before the pursuit vehicles join the fight. When we hit that barricade, we hit it HARD. Everything we've got. It's our only chance."

"One minute!" Takashi shouted, "get ready!"

Bando positioned himself to rush out of the door, and Arakawa chambered a round in her pistol, looking frightened but determined. Takashi's eyes narrowed as he said a silent prayer, and Lucy let her vectors grasp various parts of the roof. As soon as their vehicle got within range and they slowed down, she would tear the roof off and use it as a shield first, and then a weapon. She would hurl it like a jagged steel blade through the air and decimate whatever she could.

Then she would lead the others, smiting everything in her path and raining destruction down upon these bastards. They were all committed to what was coming…only seconds away…

Then they heard the enemy's radio.

"_Holy shit! We've got incoming! Multiple contacts! All units get to cover, we're under attack. I repeat, Site 6 is under attack!"_

"LOOK!" Arakawa screamed in disbelief.

The barricade was spread out before them, heavily fortified. More than any of the other fortifications they had seen thus far. And it's defenders appeared to be fighting for their lives against an unknown force that was raining fire and bullets down upon them.

"YES!" Bando cried out, "It's Ryota! Goddamn that man has some timing!"

"I've kept him updated with our current position. He was probably waiting for the enemy to box us in so he could be sure the target he attacked would be the one we'd have to move towards."

"Alright, the plan remains the same! Let's get in there and fucking destroy them!"

They closed in at great speed and Lucy felt adrenaline fill her once again as the moment of truth approached.

"Now!" Bando screamed as Takashi slammed on the brakes, causing a loud howling sound to emit from the screeching tires. Bando jumped out the moment it was safe and Lucy tore the roof from the vehicle as it stopped moving. They immediately rushed into a world a chaos as explosions rang out everywhere and fire blazed all around them. Screaming with fury, Lucy charged forward with her metal shield, Bando and Takashi close behind firing into groups of soldiers. Anyone they could see that was not wearing the distinct uniform of the Kamakura S.A.T forces, quickly fell to their assaults.

Lucy was almost taken by surprise as two soldiers aimed their weapons at her. She moved the shield between them and heard bullets clang off of the metal. Takashi ran close to the shield and tossed a grenade out in their direction. As the soldiers ran for cover, Takashi picked them off quickly as the grenade exploded, immediately moving away from Lucy to take cover at one of the sandbag barriers where Bando had acquired a rifle with a grenade launcher attachment. He was currently using it to bombard areas where the enemy soldiers were most dug in.

The first of the pursuit cars joined the fight and Lucy hurled the car roof lengthwise at the windshield. It slammed into the front seat like a giant blade, embedding itself halfway into the car. The car sped out of control and smashed against the barricade, toppling American soldiers who had taken positions on one of the trucks to hold off Ryota's forces. The second and third cars rushed Lucy who met them head on, her vectors shielding from the rifle fire that came at her from those passengers. As they got close, Lucy used a vector to haul herself quickly out of the way, while using other vectors to swing one of the cars, using its own momentum against it. The vehicle struck a parked car and flipped in the air, crashing with a deafening sound into the troop truck, toppling it over and killing soldiers it struck.

"Lucy! Get your ass to cover!"

Bando's voice, warning her. It only took a second for her to realize her ghastly displays of destructive power hadn't gone unnoticed by the defenders, who were one and all, prioritizing her as a target.

Lucy broke into a run, whirling her vectors around herself to create a shield as she ran. It wasn't perfect, and a bullet in the right place could take her down. With that in mind, she ran as hard as she could to one of the side alleys while Bando, Takashi, and Arakawa returned fire to the defenders on their side. Luckily, it had been enough and she reached cover safely as a storm of gunfire ripped apart concrete and brick at the building's corner.

Being suddenly reminded of her battle with S.A.T a year gone, she looked straight up, and thought she saw rifle muzzles leaning over the roof. Snipers.

With her vectors, she carried herself upwards, stopping just before she would have been visible by anyone standing on the roof. She waited until she saw the muzzle lean back over the rooftop, and then launched herself up, grabbing the rifle with one of her vectors. She saw the surprised look of the sharpshooter who suddenly found himself weaponless, along with four other soldiers who had been aiming at other targets.

"Fuck!" he screamed before Lucy gored a hole through his chest with one violent stab of a vector. The others had only just turned to deal with the new threat when Lucy picked them all up, and flung them off of the roof. She lowered herself so that she made the smallest target possible, and quickly assessed the situation.

It was absolute chaos, and from this high up, it was difficult to tell where Bando, Takashi, and Arakawa were. What she did see, was the tank that was being used as a barricade, slowly start to spin. It's main gun pointing at an area inside their barricade. She followed its aim and found Bando, and the others. The gun was aiming right at them and they were pinned down by small arms fire. If that tank's gun fired…

"NOOO!" Lucy screamed, taking a few steps back, and hurling herself off of the roof. As she sailed through the air, she wrapped her vectors together and solidified them until they were like a great hammer, while leaving one vector free to brace her fall. It was going to hurt but…this had to work.

She came down and dropped that phantom hammer onto the tank with all the force she could muster. The sound of the impact was like a bomb going off as the steel caved in on itself, leaving a vast imprint in the mobile armor and sending twisted metal flying outward like shattered glass. She hit the ground hard, and even though her free vector broke her fall, she still smacked the pavement with enough force to send pain shooting through her, and stars to form in her vision. For a moment, she forgot just where she was as she lay still.

She cringed as a wave of pain swept through her, but ordered herself to move. The soldiers would be wanting revenge for that little stunt.

Sure enough, a handful moved through the twisted metal of vehicle wreckage, and began to open fire on her. It was all she could do to simply deflect their bullets, but they had her. She was pinned down, and if her concentration slipped for even a moment…

Suddenly, the men started dropping, and screaming with pain. The ones that remained changed their targets, firing their weapons at a new enemy and falling back. Lucy grunted in pain as she tried to stand up, making sure to keep as low as she could to keep from taking a stray bullet. Her saviors emerged shortly. Bando, and the rest, along with some of Ryota's soldiers, moving forward at a measured pace with weapons firing. As soon as they had gained enough ground, Bando immediately rushed to her and threw her arm over his shoulder to help her stand.

"Jesus…Lucy, are you alright?"

"I…" she said shakily, still stunned from the fall, "I think…so."

She looked around, her battle adrenaline starting to kick back in.

"Where are they?" she growled, "where…"

"Lucy, snap out of it!" Bando shouted, shaking her, "it's over, they're falling back. That insanity you pulled with their tank scared them shitless. They're pulling out. You hear me Lucy? We fucking did it!"

It took her a long moment to really understand what he was saying. The battle had been short, but it had been horrifying, and violent to an extreme she hadn't experienced in a very long time. Thankfully, it was over now, and they were still alive. A huff of laugher escaped her lips before she could stop it, though it was more a sound of disbelief than humor.

Bando laughed almost manically as he shook her shoulders, a wide grin on his face, "you crazy fucking bitch! I can't believe you pulled that shit!"

"You saved our lives," Takashi said, his even tone tempering Bando's exuberance, "I was sure we were finished. Once again, I've cheated death, with you to thank for it."

"You pulled all of us out of the fire," Arakawa said in a shaky voice filled with gratitude, "you know, that fall could have easily killed you Lucy."

"I…" she didn't really know what to say. They were speaking as though what she had done was unusual of her. As if stopping the tank from killing them had been a choice for her. There had been no deliberation. She just…had to.

"What else…" she said, between labored breath, "could I have done?"

"You couldn't simply have bent the barrel?" Takashi said with a slight smile, interpreting her statement literally, "something tells me that would have been less difficult for you than what you had set your mind to."

"Oh," she said stupidly. Why hadn't she just done that? Takashi had a point, now that she thought about it…

Takashi's smile grew wider, "I suppose you wouldn't be you if the coup de grace wasn't as dramatic as you could possibly manage it. Despite my cautionary words, you had your blaze of glory after all."

"As far as I'm concerned," Bando said, "she earned it."

There was a chuckle from all of them at that. Lucy understood what they were doing. Their efforts towards humor were taking the edge off of the knife sharp anxiety and residual adrenaline in their blood. Lucy welcomed it, and let the mood drain her of that thundering in her blood. She wasn't sure she could handle much more, and silently thanked them for helping to ease it.

Lucy noticed him first. A man who had been keeping a polite distance. He was wearing tactical gear, but the dress underneath it appeared to be a lot more formal. It was officer garb. The man had hard set features, but was strikingly handsome for how old he obviously had to be. He wore long hair that was silvered, and tied back from his face. His expression was one of solemn intensity that she knew could only come from long years of living through battle, and tragedy.

She recognized him. From the night she had so unwisely liberated Angel from the facility. This was Ryota.

Bando noticed her expression and turned to see what she was looking at. The others eventually did as well.

From Bando, Lucy could see anger and a thousand questions in his eyes. There was something else there too. A look one reserves for family, albeit, family that one is currently furious with.

From Takashi, she could feel a strain to remain neutral. Lucy knew he would want to know just what his commander had gotten them all into with Ghost. She knew, however, that those concerns were, to him, peripheral to his mission of protecting everyone in the city that he could. He wanted to know just what they were dealing with.

From Arakawa, she could sense agonizing conflict. Lucy knew that Arakawa wanted to run to him. She could see the love in her eyes plain as day. But there were questions in those eyes, just as it was with the rest of them.

Lucy was no different. She had questions of her own.

"…_eventually…the first Silpilets were born…"_

"…_aside from the occasional leak, Kakuzawa seems to believe Ryota successfully carried out his objective…"_

Perhaps it wouldn't matter. Knowing. She didn't really believe anything would change if she knew…how she had come into the world…and from whom. But the possibility of having that knowledge, was right in front of her. Just a stone's throw away. All she had to do…was ask…

"We meet again," he said to her in a slow, measured tone, "thankfully, under better circumstances then in our first meeting."

Lucy glared, remembering him only as her enemy. If any of his men had been responsible for so much as wounding Kouta that night, Lucy would have been taking it out on this man right now. Perhaps she wouldn't have killed him though…

…perhaps.

"I had heard stories," he continued, "about the Diclonius queen Lucy."

He took a few casual steps towards them, and stopped.

"You would be, perhaps, amused…to know that your name is nearly synonymous with legend among the soldiers of Kamakura."

"What's your point?" she said, with a measure of hostility.

"I merely mean to say, I feel a certain measure of satisfaction to see that your legend, appears to be justified. Also that a being as powerful as yourself, can be counted as an ally."

"Today I am," she said darkly, "tomorrow? That's up to you."

She knew that this man had saved their lives, but it didn't change the fact that not long ago, he had been her enemy. To be fair, so hadn't Bando, and Arakawa to a lesser extent. Bando, at least, had ties with her family. This man, Ryota, did not. As he regarded the group, he saw a grim sort of resignation fill his eyes.

"I take it…from the reception…that you have all seen the reports?"

Silence greeted him, which Lucy was sure he expected.

"I know," he said, "that you all must have many questions. I intend to answer them fully. I must remain here for the time being to clean up, but I implore you to return with an escort to the hospital until I can join you. We will speak then."

Ryota looked over towards Takashi, and Lucy noticed he was pointedly avoiding Arakawa's gaze, "Sergeant?"

"Sir," he replied, turning towards the group, "come on, let's get out of here."

He extended a hand towards Lucy, beckoning her to follow, "Lucy…he's waiting."

Kouta…

She steeled herself for the meeting, and almost wished she could have just fought the Institute's army again. Now that all the obstacles were gone, and nothing stood between her and Kouta, she felt irrationally afraid as all the doubts began to creep in again.

She began to follow Takashi as Ryota turned away from them. Lucy hadn't walked two steps when she saw Arakawa break away from them and walk purposefully towards Ryota. All froze as she grasped Ryota's hand and gently spun him around.

There, in silence, they stood like that. Arakawa's hand in Ryota's as she locked eyes with him. Lucy saw Arakawa tighten her grip, but she did not speak, and neither did he. After a few moments, Lucy saw Ryota tighten his own grip ever so slightly. His eyes were the only thing that betrayed any emotion, and they were filled so deeply with it. The sight made Lucy have to swallow a lump in her throat. Though they stood in silence, she knew it was because they did not need words. Everything they had to say to one another, everything that mattered, was being said right now. Arakawa's faith in Ryota humbled Lucy. How could she quiver at the prospect of seeing Kouta again? The sight of those two made Lucy's desire to see Kouta develop quickly into a powerful need, made all the more profound at knowing that nothing else was stopping her from doing so.

Nothing, but her own fear. She would be damned if she let fear write the story of her life.

Arakawa slowly released Ryota and took two steps back. After another long moment, she turned around, and rejoined the group. Lucy couldn't be sure because Arakawa was walking quickly, but she swore that the other woman's eyes were wet with tears. Takashi and Bando were turned politely away as Arakawa rushed past them on her way towards the breach in the barricade.

Wordlessly, they filed out while making their way through the throng of soldiers who were all busy with various tasks. Lucy felt the eyes on her; some of them simply curious, while others regarded her with suspicion and a few with barely disguised hostility. It would have been too much to bear, if it were not for realizing that some of those looks were not being directed solely at her. Bando was receiving similar treatment. Looking up at him, he saw Bando's face set in a carefully neutral expression. He looked made of stone, but she knew. She could almost feel the anger and frustration boiling inside of him. Bando's eyes flicked down towards her and caught her staring. He took a deep breath and let it out through his nose, facing forward again.

"I know exactly how you feel right now Lucy…"

She nodded, "I know you do."

"Haven't decided yet if I still owe you for my eyes and arm," he said without looking at her, "but I just want to say…I'm a little less inclined now to call in your debt."

"And what of your own debt? I remember how you struck Kouta, and beat me when I couldn't fight back," she said. Some of the anger that came with the memory seeped in, but she forced it down. She had more than paid him back for that and with everything that was going on, and all they had both been through, Lucy found she had no desire to reignite the old grudge.

"That was your man? Kouta?" he said, incredulity in his tone, "shit…"

"Can't we just call it even?" Lucy said, "I don't…I don't want this fight anymore. With you. Besides…Mayu would never forgive me if I killed you."

"You mean Mayu would never forgive ME if I killed you," he said with a small smile at the corner of his mouth.

"You really believe that, don't you?" Lucy said, a small smile on her own face.

"Never go into a fight expecting to lose," he replied, "otherwise, you've lost before it even begins."

She couldn't help but laugh a little. She had beaten him twice, and still he had the nerve to suggest he stood a chance. Her amusement fled as she really realized that this was his way. Perhaps he had said the words in jest, but she knew that in his heart, he probably felt sure that the next time would truly be the one in which he prevailed. Despite insurmountable odds, and even crushing defeat, he never…NEVER gave up believing that he could win. This was his way, and he believed it with everything in him. He could be beaten, but never broken.

She realized that she respected him for it. It seemed like such a waste to continue wanting this man to be her enemy. That was the real reason she didn't want to fight him anymore. Maybe he wasn't worthy of respect when they had first met, but things were obviously different now. She was glad for the chance to know what kind of man he really was.

"_Never go into a fight expecting to lose…"_

She had been doing that this whole time. Expecting that she would never have a place in Kouta's life now that the truth of her crimes had been exposed. It was past time to throw away what doubts still remained…and fight.

"Thank you Bando."

He looked at her strangely, "for what?"

"A lot of things…but…just…thank you."

They had approached a vehicle that a soldier was beckoning them towards. Takashi waited for the man in the driver's seat to get out, and then took his place. Arakawa was already waiting in the passenger seat and Bando paused with his hand on the door handle. He looked at Lucy for a long moment, seeming in the midst of some deliberation. After a few moments, he spoke.

"Alright Lucy," he said, "we're even. It's over."

He opened the door and slid over. Lucy simply stood there, her mouth slightly parted, letting the impact of his words sink in. It couldn't be coincidence, that two awful crimes perpetuated by her had been forgiven by two entirely different people. Perhaps there was a reason. Perhaps…she really was worthy of it.

She let it sink in, and let herself truly believe it. Yes, she had done terrible things, but she had never shied away from her atonement. She had given so much of herself and fought so hard to be worthy of forgiveness. That fight had taken up almost every moment of her life, and in every one of those moments, she was sure she was not, and could never be, worthy of it.

But she truly believed now, that she was worthy. Now, she could face anyone who would throw her past back at her, and the impact would not cause her to falter. She had fought tooth and nail for this life. Had given blood, sweat, and tears for it. She had even been ready to give up that life…her life…for those she loved. Wasn't she entitled to some demands of her own now? Hadn't she earned the right to live her life for herself, and not constantly burying demons?

She felt strong enough to defend that right from anyone who would try to take it away from her.

Even Yuka…

The sound of finger snapping caused her to come back to her senses.

"Hey, Lucy. Coming, or not?" Bando said.

"Sorry," she said quickly, as she got into the car and shut the door. As she did, Takashi pulled out and began driving in the direction of the hospital. They were flanked by two escort vehicles as they went.

All were silent during the drive, all lost in collective deep thought. Each dwelling strongly on what they were fighting for, and all knowing that although they won the day…

The war was not over yet…

* * *

><p>He came upon them quite suddenly. Or perhaps he simply hadn't paid attention to where he was going.<p>

Ghost stood still, watching the soldiers mill about in the area they occupied. They looked ragged and quite the worse for wear. At first, he thought perhaps that this was some of Ryota's soldiers, but upon closer inspection, he could clearly see these were his own men. Or rather, Westmore's men, who had gone to battle on his orders. He didn't know what happened, but he was pretty sure he knew the end of whatever report he was about to receive. Distantly, he thought he should feel some kind of rage about that. He couldn't though. Couldn't feel anything. He knew the rage was still there, somewhere in a dark corner of his heart, just waiting. It was like it was merely waiting for the right moment. The right people. Saving up all its strength for that perfect moment so that when it was unleashed, nothing would survive.

He walked slowly forward, feeling the proximity of all those anguished minds around him. Their presence was not nearly as profound as the mind of a Diclonius, and he had discovered that this fact prevented him from interacting with human minds. He couldn't touch them the way he could touch the monsters. The most he could do, was listen to what amounted to a psychic cacophony of distress and anger. He felt carried along its current, feeling a measure of comfort in the familiar psychic waters.

He wondered how much death he could cause right now if he unleashed another sonic explosion. He had eventually understood that this was what he had done in his awakening. He did not wave crude, translucent vectors around as the others did. He held dominion over sound, and the Voice had intrigued him with all of the possibilities open to him.

During his walk, he felt a strange sort of regeneration taking place within him. It had lasted until shortly before arriving here now. He could not explain the feeling, except to say it was the mental equivalent of "catching his breath". It was this that made him realize such displays of power as he had shown in that terrible moment, came with a cost. Better that he realized that now, than believing his well of power to be infinite, and taking on an enemy with that assumption.

During that period of regeneration, he had come across a random holdout who had not evacuated with the others. Some raving old fool who had owned a small business in the area. He had seen Ghost's uniform, and assumed he had come to force him out. Ghost had been amused at his rage and fear, watching him wave a large kitchen knife threateningly and listening without hearing his shouted invectives. He was the sort of man Ghost would have considered an insect when he still thought of himself as a man. Now?

Nothing had changed. The man was an insect this morning, and he was an insect now. Ghost had wrapped the disgust around himself like a blanket, reveling in the familiarity of it. The immutability of his feelings. They, at least, remained constant. They, at least, were something he was still able to keep, when so much about him was changed.

That man had been an insect, and Ghost wanted to know how easily he could crush insects now. The Voice had led him through every step.

Focus, use the faint signature of his mind as a scale from which to surround him with power. Accelerate the space around him. Produce a field of sound so intense, it would wrack his body physically. Ghost had stretched his arm towards the man. Not that he had needed to, but he liked the gesture. He wanted that connection of motioning towards a thing physically, and watching it shatter like glass.

It had not actually happened that way however. He had realized it was because he had been still so weak. The ensuing sonic thunder had been enough to take the man off of his feet, and throw him though a glass display window, but it had not destroyed him as Ghost had hoped. Despite that, Ghost had felt a sense of awe at what he had done. Like a child in the world for which everything was new. That was how he had felt as he heard the man's scream of surprise, and the loud piercing sound of shattering glass. He did not see a man in fear, covered in blood from glass cuts. Ghost saw potential. He saw what could be.

Though…the reminder that he was not quite as powerful as he had imagined, caused him to reach for yet another familiar, immutable element of his life that would never disappear. He drew this immutable constant, this anchor between him and humanity, aimed it at the dying man, and pulled its trigger.

The sound had been similar to his display of power moments ago. A clap of thunder. However, the anonymous holdout did not survive this very human display of power. It had violently ended his worthless life.

No, that was wrong. In those last moments, the man had been anything but worthless. Perhaps his life up to now had been worth nothing, but with his death he had given Ghost so much in return. He helped to separate those things about himself that were monstrous, from those which were still human. He helped Ghost better define his strengths and weaknesses.

As he watched the faces of his men who were glad to see a commanding officer in their midst, Ghost considered testing his power's limits on every last one of them. After all, wouldn't they be like another step in his journey to really know himself? What he was capable of?

No…that was just an excuse. Ghost wanted to kill. He wanted a target to unleash his pain and anguish upon. He could not do that to these men as he still needed them. They would help him find those people who would be proper targets for that rage. It would be through them that he would face Bando, and erase him.

"Sir," one of them said, "we've been trying to raise you on the comms for hours. We thought…"

"That I was dead?" Ghost said, hardly recognizing his own voice. It was gravely from his screams, and flat. Diminished.

"Sir…we…"

"Failed…" Ghost said with disdain, feeling some of his old self coming back. He embraced it and let anger swell within him. It was bringing him back to life.

"We had the targets maneuvered towards Site 6 when…"

"I'm not interested in your report," Ghost said, "nor any other wordy speech describing in humiliating detail how you all got your fucking asses kicked by people who should have been sitting ducks."

He looked away from the soldier towards some point far down the road, wondering from how far he could sense a Diclonius mind. He'd try to skirt the hospital perhaps. There would be plenty of them concentrated there. He would know for sure the limits of what he could feel. He already knew they would be less than what he could transmit. He had learned that long ago as a child, but he felt it would be useful to know the minimum distance one of them would have to be for him to mark their presence. It would make issuing combat orders somewhat more efficient if their enemy was a Diclonius.

"Get Westmore on the line," he commanded.

"Sir," the soldier said, with a hint of anger. Ghost could feel frustration screaming in the man's mind. He probably felt his report would have provided mitigating circumstances to their defeat. There must have been an unexpected development, and considering that the men had known what they were dealing with, Ghost surmised the "unexpected development" to have been reinforcements. No doubt sent by Ryota. Ghost had actually wanted to hear the details, but deliberately provoked the man. He wanted to know what he could sense of strong human emotions and compare them to how they differed from the Diclonius ones. He shuddered with the memory of what had been raging in the depths of Angel's mind. She weathered a never ending storm of such ferocity that Ghost knew it would have torn him apart if it were his mind under assault from such turmoil.

Probably better if they never met again, but at least now if they did, Ghost had a fighting chance to win. Heaven help anyone else.

The soldier returned with a large radio that was set up with a specific frequency to interact with Westmore only. Ghost took it from him without looking in his direction.

"Director."

"_Commander Rin, what the hell is going on out there? I've got multiple reports telling me you had contact with a large quantity of the prime targets, and that they all escaped when Ryota obliterated one of the barricades. I thought you said you could handle this Commander…"_

"They may have escaped Director, but in the confusion, I believe I was able to ascertain with a fair degree of reliability, how we can expect to reacquire Number 5. I believe I know how we can take her down."

"_Really…well that at least is something. What have you come up with?"_

"Vanith," he said, "Director Vanith is the key. We take him, and she'll come to us."

"_What makes you so sure of that?"_

He had felt it, in that moment right before she closed her mind to him. When she had heard Vanith's name spoken aloud.

He wondered if she even realized…

"I…had contact with Number 5. Trust me Westmore, Vanith is the crux of everything here. We should consider him as important a target as Number 5 herself."

"_Well that's rather inconvenient. He's nestled safely in that goddamn impenetrable fortification they've made out of Kamakura Hospital."_

Westmore had a point about that. Even Angel would have trouble cutting a path through their forces, especially considering the Diclonius strength concentrated there. Probably why she stole all those weapons. He shivered at the thought. Those weapons in the hands of someone like Angel would prove to be lethal to a terrifying extreme.

"_Actually…this may work out."_

"Sir?"

"_Gather up your squad and head to the Red Sky launch point."_

"I thought that was still under Ryota's control."

"_I'd already ordered the other part of your squad to start dislodging Ryota's people. There are a few still dug in and I need you to hit them until they either retreat or die. Shouldn't be much of a problem, but I want to make sure it gets done. Ryota's lost the missile and I'm sure by now he knows it. After you clean up the site, we need to discuss "plan B" under these new developments of yours, and get this thing ready to deploy tonight."_

Ghost understood. Westmore was likely recalling all the squads to the launch site. Ryota would be doing the same in a last ditch effort to stop the missile launch. They would send everything they had and the battle would be…glorious.

But they wouldn't send Vanith. Very clever.

"Shall I also gather the squads spread out among the other barricades?"

"_No…they have separate orders. That is going to be part of our discussion."_

Ghost hoped Westmore knew what he was doing. They were going to need everyone if they were to have a chance of stopping Ryota's forces. There was clearly something else at work here. Some ace up the man's sleeve that Ghost couldn't see yet.

Well he had an ace of his own. Maybe he'd discover Westmore's.

"Copy that," he replied with a small grin, "I'm on my way."

He let the radio fall to his side and closed his eyes, basking in the tumult of the numerous consciousnesses that surrounded him. It was like a standing in a frightened, angered crowd and listening to the screams, curses, and general din of denial. The refusal to accept their fates. Screaming at inevitability as though it were a thing that could hear their cries. He opened his eyes to the glorious sight of the dark red sky. The virus had developed fully along the cloudline, making it appear like the skies over hell. It was the color of blood, fire, and Diclonius eyes.

Nightfall would not hide the disaster lurking in the heavens. A sight like this was not easily washed from the mind and Ghost knew everyone in Kamakura would be dreaming of death tonight.

Perhaps if he tried hard enough, he would hear the whispers of their nightmares.


	40. Recovery

**AN: I know it's been a little while. Mostly due to a rather tiring move from my apartment. I'm mostly settled now and this chapter is finally done!**

**I'd like to thank TheCuriousReader for his contribution to this chapter, as he provided the conceptual ideas that shaped it. Whether I got the right idea or not, we'll soon see, ^_^. Hope you guys enjoy!  
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* * *

><p>Mayu wiped at the condensation in the mirror and stared while absently drying her hair with the towel in her other hand. She halted for a moment as she stared at the scars on her chest. Where Angel had shot her.<p>

The shower had felt extraordinarily wonderful. It hadn't been long after waking in her hospital bed that she'd felt intolerably grimy, which had overridden the residual pain left over from the gunshot wounds. There hadn't been time to wash when she'd returned to Maple Inn, and since the attack, her body had accumulated a layer of stale rainwater, and dried blood. Much of that had been cleaned away when the doctors had operated on her, but it had been a far cry from an actual bath or shower. Mayu had insisted she be allowed to take one. Perhaps threatening to smack the next person who told her she needed rest was unnecessary, but she'd like to see their restraint after going on two days without a shower, grimy from sweat, rain, and blood.

Besides, she felt fine, which surprised her. She'd imagined being shot would come with a much longer recovery time. She understood that the care she'd received was extraordinary, having been worked on with Institute technology, but it still shocked her how quickly she could get up and walk around. She absently reached up to her bare chest and fingered the bullet scars. It was surreal, staring at the scars from wounds she could have died from. Mayu understood now, like never before, the kind of peril she was surrounded by. Angel had made this real for her in a way nothing else did. She had forced Mayu to look death itself in the eyes, and feel its hands around her throat.

The glass in front of her was getting cloudy again from the residual heat in the room, which was beginning to make her sweat slightly. She decided she had spent long enough in the bathroom. Running the towel over herself once more, she tossed it in a linen basket and walking over towards where a pile of clothes sat. The clothes had come from a suitcase Kouta and Yuka had brought with them here from Maple Inn. Thinking of their home, sadness crept in. What they had on them now, was all that remained.

That, and they still had one another of course. However, she could sense that something was wrong there. Whenever Yuka and Kouta were in the same room, things just seemed…off. Like they were pretending for her sake. She didn't like that one bit, and wondered what could have happened to drive a wedge between them. Because it was obvious from their sparse words and body language that a divide separated them now. Rarely did they spend any length of time in the same room together. Mayu had a terrible feeling in her gut that maybe, she didn't really want to know what was wrong. Something had happened between last night, and this afternoon that had changed their relationship. Changed it quickly, and most certainly for the worse. She had decided not to ask either of them what happened, at least not now. They had enough to worry about.

She lifted the pile of clothes, a light gray tiered skirt that would hang just below her knees, and a loose fitting white button up shirt. It wasn't a particularly complicated outfit, but Mayu always preferred simplicity, and had cultivated a way in which it could be quite elegant. She liked to think of her personality as being somewhat similar.

She dressed quickly, enjoying the simple pleasure of being clean and putting on fresh clothes. She reached for a brush to undo the knots in her hair when she heard a quiet knock at the door. Not the bathroom door, but the room it was attached to. The hospital staff had been kind enough to set both rooms aside for her while she got cleaned up. The knocking was probably a polite reminder that she didn't own those rooms. Feeling slightly embarrassed, she opened the bathroom door, running her fingers through her hair in a vain attempt to bring it to some semblance of order.

"I'm sorry," she called out quickly, moving towards the door, "I didn't mean to take so long. I'm finished."

She opened the door to revel a soldier standing there. Mayu was slightly taken aback, having expected one of the hospital staff.

"Yes?" she said.

"Are you Mayu?"

"I am," she said apprehensively, "is there something I can do for you?"

A pause, where it seemed like he didn't quite know what to say next. The soldier turned around somewhat nervously as a group of soldiers, and an impeccably well dressed man, rushed past them urgently. The name "Sergeant Yamaoka" was repeated by many of them as they passed.

"I'm…supposed to escort you…to your Diclonius friend, Number Se…"

"Nana," Mayu immediately corrected, "her name is Nana. And I thought your orders were that we couldn't see her. That's what I was told by my guardian, Kouta."

A pause, where he opened his mouth as if to ask a question. He apparently changed his mind mid thought.

"Well, those orders were countermanded. No one told you?"

"No," Mayu said, with a measure of irritation, "no one told me. Or Kouta, or Yuka."

"They know her too?"

"Yes, and I think they'd like to see her as much as I would," she paused and thought, "wait, why were you looking for me to begin with? You couldn't have known I knew her."

"The Di…Nana was asking for you specifically. She's upstairs in one of the recovery rooms with an Institute soldier."

Daisuke. Mayu wanted to see him too. Before she'd blacked out, she had seen Daisuke picking up where she had left off, firing his gun at that monstrous woman. Mayu had passed out by that point however, and had been spared the sight of Angel tearing him apart.

Mayu nodded at the soldier, "thank you then, for coming to get me."

"Right this way," he said, gesturing for her to follow…why did that soldier's voice sound so…familiar? An ember of dread was settling in her gut, but she couldn't figure out why. Bando would tell her to trust her instincts. Mayu wished she knew what her instincts were actually saying.

Thinking for a moment, she grabbed one of her bags, and started walking with him, trying hard to keep from getting too far ahead as they moved towards one of the stairwells.

* * *

><p>As Nana walked back into Daisuke's room, she felt more at ease with the sight that greeted her.<p>

She moved quietly, though she did not think she would wake him. He was still sleeping quite soundly, and was no longer surrounded by machines or wires. Nana had been ushered out of the room for an hour as Daisuke was being looked in on by his doctors. Nana was a little disappointed to learn that during this time, he had roused to consciousness. She had wanted to be there when he first woke.

The medical staff seemed to realize this, telling her that while he had been conscious, it had not been for long and he had been in a daze from his chemically induced sleep. In all likelihood, he hadn't realized that he had been awake at all. Nana decided that she hadn't really wanted to be there for that. Seeing that he was awake, but not understanding where he was or who was around him. He wouldn't have known her, and Nana was sure that it would have been painful to experience.

She scolded herself for the thought, thinking that it shouldn't matter what state of consciousness he was in. She should have wanted to be there regardless. It was just that seeing him like that, would have been too uncomfortable a reminder of things she had gone through during her time as an Institute test subject.

It had been just as well she'd been forced out. Nana had used the time to wash, and it had been during that time she felt waves of power and emotion cast through her mind as though her mental walls were made of glass. The first had been a furious explosion of horror and disbelief that made her scream and collapse in the shower. That had earned her an audience of medical staff and a lot of embarrassment once the feeling had passed.

The second had come when she was still getting dressed, and it was how she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Lucy lived. She lived, and was obviously fighting for her life out there somewhere, having picked up a wavelength of fury and adrenaline. After it had passed, it faded into an unobtrusive presence that Nana could sense constantly. It told her Lucy was getting closer. Nana was relieved beyond measure that Lucy was still alive. She wished it meant that Lucy had destroyed Angel. She knew however, that wasn't the case. Nana was sure that Lucy could do it though. If there was anyone who could, it was Lucy.

Those were thoughts for later. Lucy was not here just yet and Nana wanted to see Daisuke, having finally been allowed back into his recovery room.

He looked so much better than before, and did not appear to be in the fitful sleep he'd been in for much of the time she'd spent with him here. Occasionally she would see his hand twitch, and the movement fascinated her, knowing that his arms were prosthetic now. He could have unconscious reflexes? It seemed unbelievable, but the evidence was right in front of her.

She reached towards him and brushed one of her fingers down the length of his new arm, wishing for the thousandth time that she could feel it the way she knew he would now. Using one of her vectors, she pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down near him. The chair was high enough that she was able to rest her head upon his shoulder. She then reached an arm under his, and found his hand with hers. She couldn't feel that touch, but he would, and that's what would matter. It was enough for her to feel the warmth of his skin on her cheek, and upper arm.

In the quiet, she could still hear the gentle beep of the electrocardiogram; unobtrusive and seeming to blend in more with the quiet than the hushed din from the hallway beyond the closed door. She hoped now that Daisuke would wake to find her there with him. His sleep was more natural now, and so too would be his waking. She understood the importance of not waking to solitude and silence. Those things could be very frightening when one woke up in a hospital room. She understood that all too well.

"_Nana…you must try to relax…"_

"_Papa…where were you? I…what happened to…"_

"_Shh…it's alright Nana."_

Her mind went back a few years, to her own recovery room. It always looked the same every time she awoke there, but the living shadows cast by the cold walls and flickering lights still unnerved her as though it were the first time. Those shadows were always reaching for her in the dark as if trying to drag her away. Papa's presence seemed to soften the edges on those shadows. His presence in the room seemed to repel those imagined demons, and silence the pain. Terror would engulf her when she woke to find herself alone. Even the presence of doctors who would never quite look her in the eye was better than the absolute solitude. This particular night had been worse than the others for some reason. She had trembled and cried until Papa came.

"_I…don't know if I can do it anymore," _she'd said in a trembling whisper, _"I get scared, and I can't think, and they won't stop…Papa I'm really scared…"_

"_It's alright now Nana. No more tests for a while, ok? I'll see about giving you a break for a few weeks. Would you like that?"_

The words struck her as odd now. It was like she was recalling someone else's memories.

"_Thank…you," _she'd said gratefully. Grateful why? He hadn't stopped the pain. He'd only delayed it for a while. She felt confused, remembering that Papa had also helped her escape. She knew he had loved her. At the time, that knowledge had been enough.

Feeling Daisuke's chest rise and fall with his breathing, and the emotions that swelled in her at being close to him, made her realize that there were very different kinds of love and affection in the world. Some were obvious, and some were not.

She remembered Mariko. Papa's love had been put to the test when Mariko had attacked her. When he dropped the gun instead of pulling the trigger she knew deep down, that he had chosen Mariko. He hadn't even looked in Nana's direction as Mariko savaged her. At the time, she had been too physically, and emotionally weak to dare ask herself the question that had suddenly burned in her mind. She had forced it ruthlessly down…for a very long time. But now?

_Did you really love me Papa? Or were you just pretending…that I…was her?_

There were very different kinds of love in the world, and she still believed that Papa had loved her. Loved her like the daughter he was not allowed to have. That was how he loved her first. His heart had been more for Mariko than for Nana. At the end, she knew that his love had been split in two after so much time spent with her, and part of that love now belonged to Nana. But both halves, were stained by guilt. Stained perhaps, but no less real.

After her terrified waking in the recovery room, Papa made sure he was there every time she woke after the tests had done too much damage. She used to wake up still covered in blood, a testament to how the scientists had not considered her anything close to human. They had not even bothered to wash away the blood. Once he started sitting with her in the recovery room, she would wake with her body free of the evidence that she'd been so badly wounded. Sometimes, she would wake to the sound of a gentle lullaby, which would always cut off as her eyes opened to find its source. She knew Papa had been singing it to her. Why would he stop?

"_Very…pretty…"_ she'd said one day.

"_What's that Nana?"_

"_That song…you're singing…"_

"_Song? I'm not sure what you mean."_

"_I heard a song, as I was waking up…thought I…was dreaming…it."_

"_That must have been all it was Nana. Now go back to sleep."_

"_You'll stay…with me?"_

"_Of course."_

She hadn't heard it for a while after that, but a month later, she heard it again. She knew it hadn't been a dream or her imagination. She would catch herself sometimes, and simply pretend to be asleep while he sang softly. She wondered now if it had been something he'd longed to do with his real daughter. He wondered if he still sang to her, somewhere in a place beyond death.

The memory was a pleasant one, amidst so much pain. Papa's voice, convinced her that he truly loved her. That belief had been enough to keep her alive, and she was so thankful now that she had held on for so long. Her reward had been Mayu, and the rest of her new family. Her reward had been to experience affection of a different kind, which had strength so powerful that Nana thought perhaps she could not possibly hold it all inside.

She began to sing the song, though she mostly hummed its tune, having forgotten many of the words. Perhaps Daisuke would feel about this tune the way she had once felt about it. The circumstances were different, and the roles of recovery were reversed, but there was so much of the familiar about this moment. This however, with Daisuke, seemed more…right. Nana's fondness for her memories seemed somewhat perverse now that she was living in a different way then she had before. Where happiness was not defined by an absence of pain, and mercy was not the only proof of love.

Her life now was both so much more simple, yet so much more complicated. At least now, the simplicities and complexities were all in their proper places. This, was what life was meant to be. For all the good, and…

"Nana…"

…all the bad that wa…

Her eyes shot open, and her mind switched off. She brought her head up almost too fast and found herself staring into Daisuke's half opened, emerald green eyes. She drew in a sharp breath and her mouth refused to work for a few seconds.

"You…look…tired."

"Oh my God," she breathed quickly as she rose from her chair and kissed Daisuke, perhaps a little roughly, hearing him give a surprised grunt. She pulled back quickly, tears forming in her eyes and spilling down her cheeks.

"Sorry," she said quickly, "I just…"

"Nothing…to be sorry…about," he said wearily, with mirth in his voice, "I'm just…"

He had paused then, looking at his hands. He had reached up to grip Nana's upper arms and seemed to realize…

"My arms…"

"Daisuke…"

He released her and moved his hands in front of his face, twisting them around and clenching his fists.

"What…is this?"

Nana closed her eyes, "Daisuke…she hurt you really bad. I thought you were going to die…but they fixed you…they…"

He took her arms in his hands again, more gently this time, she realized. His grip had actually been painful the first time but she simply had not noticed.

"Okay…so they sprung for…my surgery. Jesus…I can't believe…Nana I can FEEL you."

She smiled as the anxiety in his voice seemed to revert back to wonder.

"But why…" he began, but stopped when he brought his gaze back to her face. Something in it made him stop, and he breathed a sigh, smiling as he did so.

"Alright," he said, "not important…or at least…not anything that can't wait for a few minutes."

She felt his grip on her tighten.

"Come here sweetheart."

She smiled, as more tears rolled down her face. Putting her knee on the bed, she lifted herself into his arms and settled down next to him as he held her tightly. For a while, they said nothing, content simply to lie in one another's arms. Her body shook slightly from the sobs she was fighting ruthlessly back. It was so good to hear his voice again that it was almost frightening.

"Nana, it's alright…I'm alright. I feel fine."

"…scared Daisuke…I was scared for you. I've never been so scared in my life…about anything…not even…"

She couldn't finish her thought. Wouldn't finish it. She wasn't sure she really wanted to talk about…

"Shhh," he said gently, "Nana, please…don't cry anymore. I'm really ok."

He clutched her more tightly and she responded in kind, as though if she didn't, he would slip away from her somehow.

"God it's good to see you…have you been here all night?" he said.

She could hear the way his heart was stuck in his throat. There, just like with Papa years ago, she could sense the sincerity in his voice more than his words would ever reveal. Nana said nothing. There was nothing she could think to say that would ever convey how grateful she was that he had survived the night.

"I have," she eventually said; her voice thick with emotion and spoken in a pained whisper, as though it had cost her physically to get those two simple words out.

She felt his lips upon her forehead and his fingers gently stroking her back. Nana closed her eyes as she let the touch relax her. She started counting his caresses as though she were counting sheep. He would start with her hair, combing his fingers gently through it until he reached her neck, his touch lingering on the flesh where the neck met the shoulder. Then, his touch moved down until it reached the small of her back before starting over. She felt a little guilty at indulging in his comfort, knowing he had to have so many questions, not the least of which concerning his artificial arms. It was staggering to realize that he considered her more important than those questions that must be burning in his mind right now.

Her weariness from having stayed awake so long was catching up with her quickly, now that she was in his arms and being lulled to sleep by his rhythmic touch. As much as she wanted to fall asleep right there, she forced herself to stop it, knowing he would want to talk, and would want some answers to his questions. With that in mind, she pressed her hands against the bed and lifted herself up to face him, her body half hovering over his, and her long, deep purple-pink hair spilling down onto his chest.

"Daisuke, I know you must have a lot of questions…"

"I do, in fact," he said, reaching his hands towards her waist, and holding her still, "so here's my first one."

"Go ahead."

"That song you were humming, what was that?"

"It's…" she hadn't expected that as a first question, "just a song I remembered from long ago."

"Long ago? Like…when you were still," he couldn't quite meet her eyes, or finish the sentence.

"Still a prisoner, yes."

Because that's what she had been. A prisoner. She never quite thought of it in those terms before, because she hadn't wanted to. Admitting it to herself would have meant admitting that Papa was…for all his love and good intentions…just another of her jailers.

She felt her heart breaking as the cold truth crashed down on her like never before. A jailer. That was exactly what he had been.

"Papa…used to sing it to me," she said, tears forming in her eyes, "but I can't remember the words."

She tried. She really, really tried. But she couldn't stop new tears from spilling down her cheeks. Daisuke's face turned serious, and he slowly lifted one of his hands to brush those tears from her face.

"Nana," he said quietly, "who was 'Papa'? You never told me that when we spoke yesterday."

She closed her eyes and pressed her face into his hand, taking a deep breath to steady herself. She knew once she started talking about this, she would be unable to stop. She wasn't sure she wanted to…

"Nana, look at me," he said in a barely audible whisper.

She opened her eyes, but couldn't quite look at him. She felt scared at revisiting those memories, and somewhat ashamed at the prospect of him knowing…what…had been done to her.

"Jesus," he whispered, "what did they do to you in there?"

"Daisuke…" she started.

"Nana, talk to me. Please. What are you afraid of?"

_Admitting it. That Papa…he…he had…_

Hurt her. Let others hurt her. For all she knew…perhaps he was watching behind the glass…

…maybe…even pressing the button to…

She shut her eyes painfully as more tears leaked out. Daisuke took her face in his hands and she opened her eyes, settling her watery gaze upon his. Daisuke began to shake his head.

"Alright Nana, forget it, you don't have to…"

"His name," she began, interrupting him, "was Kurama, but I knew him as Papa. He was…the closest thing to a father I'd ever had…"

"Kurama," he said with a measure of shock, "CHIEF Kurama?"

"Yes," she whispered tearfully.

A short silence, before he spoke again, "I knew him."

"Did you?"

"No, I mean…I didn't…" he sighed as he struggled for the words, "we all knew who he was. He was the chief, after all. Worked under Director Kakuzawa. Until Kurama was murdered by Number 35..."

"That's not how it happened," Nana said quickly, "I…was there. When he died. When they both died."

He merely waited. She continued.

"Number 35...Mariko…was his daughter. His…real…daughter."

Shock now, in Daiskue's eyes.

"The director," she went on, "planted explosives in her body. Kurama knew what he had done. He took Mariko with him…somewhere that he could say goodbye…and tell her the things…"

_That I wish he would have told me…_

"…that he needed to say. His last order was that an Institute scientist activate the bomb in Mariko's body. They died together."

She could have stopped him. Why hadn't she stopped that man? It would have been easy. So easy…

"And the scientist?" Daisuke asked.

"Dead. He wanted to kill me too, but Lucy had been watching. He…never saw it coming."

And in that moment…in just that small moment, she had been willing to stand there and let him end her life. She had not considered fighting back for a moment. Revenge perhaps? No…that man had not really killed them. Papa and Mariko had gone to their deaths willingly. At most, it had been assisted suicide. In those few heart wrenching seconds…Nana would have liked nothing more than to join them in death.

But then Lucy had come, and changed that.

"_Go live with Kouta, in that house. I want you to do what I can't do. As much as I wish I could…"_

Her words were full of that sincerity that Nana had become adept at recognizing. Her tone and her eyes were full of sadness, resignation, and a longing that made Nana feel small and insignificant. Nana hadn't needed the mental link to know what Lucy was feeling. She could feel Lucy's heart in her voice, and see it in her eyes. What Nana still had, was everything Lucy had ever wanted for herself, but believed she would never ever have. With those simple words, Nana had been reminded of what was still waiting for her back home. Nana had felt ashamed at her selfishness. Ashamed at considering death for even a moment, giving up those things that Lucy would have done anything to have.

"_Lucy…"_ she had replied, failing to find anything meaningful to say. She hoped Lucy had heard what she'd been trying to say, regardless. It had occurred to Nana that she could argue with Lucy, and somehow make her stay. She knew it would have fallen in deaf ears. Lucy had spoken her words as Papa did. She had spoken them like she was ready to die.

"I'm sorry," she heard Daisuke say, "that…you lost him like that. It sounds like he meant a lot to you…"

Something in Daisuke's voice, a hesitation somewhere.

"But?" Nana ventured.

"But…I feel like you're not telling me all of it. Like there's something you're holding back. It's clear to me how important he…was…to you. I just can't imagine why he still is."

"What do you mean?"

"Nana, you know what I mean," he said, turning her head to face him when she tried to look away again, "he was the chief. Him and Professor Kakuzawa were in most direct control of the Diclonius project. If Kurama was your papa…that has to have made him your…handler."

She didn't answer him. Didn't deny the truth of his words.

"I know it hurts," he said gently, "I can see that plain enough. I'm not asking you to tell me about him because I want you to hurt…"

"Daisuke, I know you're not…"

"I'm asking because I want to know who you are. I care about you Nana, a lot. I want to understand you. I'm sorry if I'm being a bit pushy. I'm sure it's not easy for you to talk about. I used to feel that way talking about…how my dad died, so I can only imagine how much more difficult this must be for you to revisit."

"I don't think you're being pushy," she said, "it's just…"

How could she explain it to him? Daisuke didn't try to prompt her further. He just waited patiently, sliding his hands down her face, to her neck, and curving around to slide down her body towards her hips. The lightness of the touch sent a shiver of pleasure through her, which intensified sharply when she felt his fingers pressing gently into her hips.

"You have to stop that," she said.

"Stop what?"

"That," she said, a small smile creeping onto her face, "it's…distracting."

"Since we're talking about 'distracting', think you could move your leg a little? It's…distracting."

"Oh, I…" she blushed, "sorry."

He smiled at her, and ran his fingers through her hair. She silently thanked Daisuke for his humor. It took some of the edge off her anxiety. It didn't make what she was going to tell him easier to talk about, but it did make it easier to begin. She relaxed in his arms when he reached behind her back to pull her against him, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Daisuke, I don't want…you to look at me…like…" she paused, not knowing how exactly to phrase it.

"Like a victim?" he answered. Nana realized that was exactly the phrase she was looking for.

When she said nothing, he spoke again, "I won't Nana. I promise."

She took a few more breaths to steady herself, and began talking.

"I don't know who my real parents were. It wasn't something I thought about at the Institute. The walls, the tests, and Papa, were all I knew about the world and about life. Papa was there almost from the beginning. He was the first person to ever treat me with kindness, although I guess I didn't really care about my treatment much before him. I honestly didn't have any other experiences to go by, so I didn't really have a sense that I was suffering. It was simply life, as I knew it."

She waited for some reaction from Daisuke. Some indication that perhaps she should stop. There was nothing. Nothing except the steady rhythm of his fingers stroking her hair, and her back. It was calming. He…was calming.

"It was through him that I learned of humans, and that I was not like them. It seemed strange to me at first. I looked the same, except for my horns and my hair. I realized that they saw those differences based on what I could do, that they couldn't do. My vectors. Things they couldn't see with their human eyes. That, and my horns, were how we were different. It made sense to me at the time, but then I knew little about the world. I knew almost nothing about humanity, and even less about myself."

She paused for a moment, knowing the next part was going to be the difficult one.

"For years, they put me through these tests…trying to figure out in what other ways I was different, and how different I was. My earliest years were spent taking 'medications'. I was sick a lot, and they told me this was why I needed the medications. It wasn't until a long time later that I discovered it was those 'medications' that were making me sick…"

"Oh my God…" Daisuke whispered, holding her more tightly against him. Nana thought perhaps she should stop now, but it was too late. Now that she was talking, she couldn't stop the words no matter how she tried.

"It was Papa who told me the truth about them. He told me why I was really taking them, and I…was grateful to him for being honest."

"You weren't furious?" Daisuke said incredulously, "how…?"

"Because I didn't know anything else Daisuke. I didn't know what an ocean was until I was eight years old, and I was living on an island. If I had been told back than that oceans were made of dirt and not water, you might be sitting here right now trying to convince me that it was really the opposite. I knew nothing about the world, or what was right, and wrong. Pain, pleasure, love, hate. They were just words to me without meaning. They only started meaning anything because Papa had given them meaning for me."

"Why?" he said, anger in his voice, "what was his reason why? What was his…goddamn…justification for what he put you through?"

She felt an old instinct to lash out at Daisuke for his harsh words toward her Papa's memory.

"He told me that there were others like me being born, and they needed to understand us in order to help them survive in the world. He told me that…by helping him, I was helping so many others. He didn't understand; I really didn't need a reason. I loved him so much all he really had to say was that by helping him, I was making him happy. Back then, that was all I needed to know. It was the only thing that mattered to me. It was…what kept me going. What kept me alive."

She swallowed roughly, as another tear rolled down her cheek. She only distantly felt the heartache. Only numbly felt the pain. It was different however, talking about it with Daisuke. It felt a lot like putting down a crushing weight rather than remembering she was carrying it.

"When I was old enough, they started testing the strength of my vectors. They believed the threat of pain would cause me to use my power to it's fullest to avoid that pain. So they would chain me to a wall, and fire steel spheres at me with a machine. Most of the time I could stop the spheres. Sometimes…I couldn't."

It was the blood that told her she wasn't the only one. Sometimes, when she would be led out into the test chamber, she could see the dried blood on the wall that they couldn't quite erase fully. Her own blood on the floor never frightened her as much as that dried blood did. It was like a promise of pain to come.

Daisuke held onto her, protectively. She grieved for him, knowing how he likely wished he could have done something, but feeling frustrated and angry that these things had already happened. She had felt a lot like that when Mayu had told her of that awful stepfather. Nana did not have a taste for killing, and even when she had to, it took something out of her to do it, but that man? Nana didn't think she'd lose sleep over skinning him alive if he ever crossed her path.

"I don't understand," he said quietly, "why you don't hate us. All of us."

"Papa taught me the value of life…"

"Human life," Daisuke snapped, "which, as far as they were concerned, excluded you. That…son of a bitch…I never knew…"

She felt his hand leave her back. She looked up at Daisuke to see him claw a hand through his hair.

"And I…was a part of that…"

"Daisuke…"

"I'd…be a hypocrite to just lay it all on them. I thought the same as they did Nana. I was no different…"

"Daisuke…I want you to stop what you're doing. Right now."

His attention refocused on her, as she looked at him with as serious a gaze as she could manage.

"You're looking for a target you can punish for what I'm telling you. There's no one, they're all gone. I won't let you do it to yourself simply because you can think of no one else. I don't blame you. You shouldn't either."

"I just…" he raked a hand through his hair again, "I can't believe you don't hate us all. You have every reason, and every right to."

"I almost let myself feel that way," she said, "once. Someone had threatened my life and said some awful things to me. I almost let myself become something monstrous. I almost let myself be what all of those other people said I was. A monster. A murderer."

She shifted in his arms to get in a more comfortable position, laying her head back upon his shoulder.

"I hated it, the way I felt. It was frightening, like I wasn't in control of myself. Afterwards, that feeling of being out of control and so full of hate…the memory of it…was so awful that I never wanted to feel it again. It wasn't me. It wasn't who I wanted to be. I think it was the first real decision I ever made for myself, because I hadn't made it for Papa. I'd made it for me."

Silence for a while, before Daisuke spoke.

"You're still holding onto him…"

"What do you…"

"The way you still call him 'Papa', the way you sound when you talk about him."

She sighed, "yes, I suppose I am. I loved him."

"What you're talking about Nana, that wasn't love. That was mind games, it was sick."

"He did love me Daisuke…"

But…

"but…" she had been wrong. THIS was going to be the most difficult part.

She closed her eyes against the pain of the truth, "but it was only because…I reminded him…of his…real…daughter."

She had not been prepared for what would happen after saying those words out loud. Suddenly, the truth she had always known, became agonizingly real.

"Nana…"

"Oh God…" she said, feeling like she was going to cry again, "he…Papa…"

There was no more hiding from the truth. He had never truly loved her. Never.

He had set her free because he had wished Mariko could have been free. He had spared her life only because he couldn't bear the thought that this surrogate for his real daughter, would die. Everything he had done for Nana was done, in his mind, for Mariko. Because Nana was the flesh and blood that he could save, while Mariko had been beyond his reach.

He had tried to save Nana, because he had been unable to save Mariko. Would…Papa…still have been there for her, if Mariko had never been born? Nana wished she could still believe that he would. His love had been real. That much at least, Nana was sure of. However, that love had been more for Mariko, than it had ever been for herself.

"Nana…you have to let him go. You're hanging on to a lie."

"You don't understand…" she said, "he's the only reason I'm alive. He's the only reason I had a chance to really live. It…doesn't matter that it wasn't me he loved. I loved him. That was real enough to keep me alive."

"But you don't need him anymore Nana. Those tests, the pain? That isn't your reality anymore. He isn't the only thing you've got in this world anymore."

He lifted her gently so that she would look at him. She did, drinking in the sight of his beautiful, green eyes.

"This right now, the family you've got waiting for you. THAT'S your reality. Their feelings for you are real, and they're not for the idea of some other person they wish you were."

He paused, simply staring at her.

"My feelings for you," he said, "are real. They're yours. Not anyone else's. You don't have to cling to that bastard's memory…no Nana, look at me. He was a bastard, son of a bitch and I don't care what good he's done by you. As far as I'm concerned, he only gave what he owed you, and even in that, I think he came up miserably short."

She hated this feeling of being torn. Of wanting to argue with Daisuke, but being unable because she knew he was right.

"You have so much more now than you did at the Institute. You have a family now. Are you going to hide away part of your heart because it's still back there on that island? Locked in a room all alone with nothing but lies for comfort?"

"That's not true! I wouldn't…"

But she had. All those mornings alone at the bridge where they died. Kouta, Yuka, Mayu, and Lucy were not there with her in body or in spirit during those mornings. The only thing that kept her company in those hours, were ghosts.

"They don't know do they?" he said, "about what you went through back there?"

"How could I tell them Daisuke?" she said in a voice that sounded almost pleading, "they've all been through so much. All of them. I…was never able to bring myself to tell them about where I'd come from. I never wanted to add to their sadness. They've had so much of it in their lives, and they were good enough to take mine away."

So she never told them where she went in the mornings. She lived and died alone out there almost every day. Only Lucy had ever known…only she had understood.

Her vision refocused to the sight of Daisuke shaking his head, "it doesn't work that way Nana. You either trust someone, or you don't. Love isn't all about the good times, and being happy. Real love hurts like hell. There's blood and tears in love that's honest, because that's what it demands when it's real. You can't just pick and choose how you love someone. You don't show it by focusing only what's good, and pretending that the bad doesn't exist. For God's sake Nana, haven't you been hurt enough by only being half loved? Why would you only offer half of yourself then?"

"It's not like that…"

"Isn't it? I know it must sound strange, but I can practically guarantee you that they want to share your joy, AND your pain. Not because they want you to hurt, but because they want to be there for you when you're hurting. To know that you won't be alone when you need them."

She shook her head slowly, blinking away residual tears.

"Daisuke," she said quietly, "stop saying 'they'…"

"But…"

"…when you mean 'we'. You're a part of that family as far as I'm concerned. You're important to me as well."

His lips turned upward in a small smile, then he gave a nervous laugh, "guess it was just easier to say 'they'. Didn't want to seem…you know…weird about it, or so sudden."

"What do you mean? Weird about what?"

"I don't…" he started, then gave that nervous laugh again, staring off at some random object in the room, "…just crazy I guess. Feels like I'm falling so damn hard for you and…only met you a few days ago. I hardly know you…"

"I'd say you know me as much as my family does. A little more now…to be honest."

"I don't believe that," he said with a laugh.

"Well then perhaps it's just that you know me in a way they don't," she said, "and right now…you can't imagine the difference that makes. You just can't."

He was silent for a while after that. While he gazed off in thought, she took the time simply to take in the details of his face. He looked still somewhat disheveled from the previous night, but he seemed all the more handsome for it. His eyes were naturally dark, and their green color seemed to shine from within. She found him utterly beautiful. It seemed a strange thing to say of a man, but that was the word that most stuck out in her mind to describe him.

Struck by a sudden urge, she reached her arms around his neck and pulled herself close to him. Saying nothing, she pressed her lips upon his and kissed him slowly. Although the sensation of being kissed was still relatively new to her, she felt rather comfortable with it. She relished feeling him reciprocate, and felt dizzy with the sensation of giving, while at the same time taking. It was a wonderful sensation; being received with such fervor, and feeling the strength of his own passion. Knowing she brought it out in him.

She couldn't help but laugh a little when she heard the beeping of his EKG start to quicken somewhat. He laughed with her, blushing slightly.

"Well," he said, "just in case you needed more proof of how I feel…"

"I don't," she said quietly, "but I like to see it. I like to hear you say it."

He reached up to stroke her hair and another wave of pleasure swept through her. She thought that she'd never get tired of feeling his hands through her hair, or anywhere else for that matter. She wished they could simply have all day and all night together. She knew it couldn't happen, but at least for right now, she could pretend that they had all the time in the world. It would be true one day soon.

"Still can't believe it," he said with wonder, focusing once again on his arms, "it was a little strange at first. Like…my brain was recognizing touch, but…it still kind of felt…I don't even know how to explain it to you. Like I knew the sensation was not real, but my brain was telling me that it was real. That doesn't make any sense does it?"

She smiled at him, then hid her face in her hair as it faltered. She couldn't help it. She was a little envious. A silence stretched between them until she lifted her head and realized he was examining her own arms.

"Nana, did they do this too you as well?" he said quietly, "is that what really happened to your arms?"

A memory flashed in her mind. A vision of cold, cruel eyes and a chilling drawl, taunting her. Lucy, in another life.

"No," she said, "it was not them."

She studied him. Would he judge her as she once did? Nana was no longer angry at Lucy for what had happened between them. She knew if Lucy could take it back, she would. Nana often got the impression that Lucy would have gladly given her life for the chance to right that wrong. She knew, however, that Daisuke might not be so willing to let it go. She could understand if he didn't. Even if Angel had suddenly turned her own life around as Lucy did, Nana knew she would always want that woman's blood for what she had done to Daisuke. The mere thought of Angel caused fury to boil inside of her. She quickly dispelled Angel from her mind, not wanting her time with Daisuke to be spoiled.

"_You either trust someone, or you don't…"_

She decided she would.

"I wasn't often allowed out into the world," she began, "Papa would take me outside on the island sometimes, but we almost never left it for the mainland. One of the times I was allowed off the island was to do an errand for Papa. Lucy had escaped the facility a while back, and they were having trouble recapturing her. Papa asked me to help them…and I wanted to help him. First, he asked me to kill her, but I knew I would not be able to bring myself to take a life. Papa had instilled that in me long ago, and I couldn't go against it."

She paused, prolonging the retelling of what happened afterward. She felt Daisuke's arms tighten around her and she relaxed, closing her eyes.

"Since I wouldn't kill her, he told me all I had to do was find her. He knew I could do that because he knew we Diclonius can sense one another."

"How can you do that?" Daisuke asked.

"I learned about a word some time ago that kind of describes it…'empath' I think it was? We are empaths, able to sense each others emotions. People are always feeling something, every minute of the day. Sometimes those feelings are weak enough that you don't really think of yourself as feeling anything, but they're always there. We Diclonius are the same. I can sense those feelings, and I can tell where they're coming from. This was how I found Lucy. It wasn't hard…there was so much conflict in her, and regret."

She felt him stiffen, likely guessing at where this was going.

"Papa told me all I had to do was find her, but I wanted him to be proud of me. I wanted to make him happy. I wouldn't kill Lucy, but I thought perhaps I could force her to come back with me. I was certain I could do that. It hadn't occurred to me that I had never been in a fight before…seems kind of silly now that I think back on it. I don't know how I expected to win."

She lifted herself up, and slowly met Daisuke's gaze.

"I didn't win," she said, "and Lucy…cut…me apart."

Horror in his eyes as he looked at her.

"Lucy…did that to you?" he said, with a rising anger.

She nodded her head, "it took me a very long time, but I've forgiven Lucy for it. I know now where she had come from, and what she must have felt. The world had done some terrible things to her, and she succumbed to her hate. She must have seen me as just another tormentor. A slave…who was trying to put her back in a dark hole. I'm not so sure I wouldn't have done the same as her if I had been in Lucy's shoes. If I had grown up as she did, without Papa, or a reason not to kill."

He started to speak, but she stopped him.

"I know she regrets it, she's told me often. I believe her. I see it in her eyes when we talk, and I've often heard regret in her voice. I'm a reminder of a person she's ashamed of. I can't bring myself to hate her anymore. Not when she has done so much for us and fought so hard to protect us. I've come to think of Lucy as a sister. I care about her Daisuke."

She held up her prosthetic arms, "I don't want you to hate her for this. I don't."

"That's asking a lot Nana…"

"But I know it's not more than you can give. If it was, we wouldn't be here right now. You wouldn't be holding me and I wouldn't be lying here wanting to stop talking about these things so I can kiss you until I run out of breath."

He smiled warmly at her, and she thought she would melt.

"Alright Nana," he said, "I can see how important that is to you, but you're going to have to give me some time on that. What she did to you was terrible…"

"Daisuke…" she said, in a small voice.

"What is it?"

"Do you think…they…could help me? Like they helped you? Do you think they would?"

The temptation was too much to bear. She was still worried about how the surgery might affect her, being different than a human. Nana wasn't really sure how different she was physically, or if it would matter at all. They had preformed a miracle with Daisuke, and being so close to that miracle herself, it was now impossible not to consider reaching out for it.

She saw concern in his eyes, "I think they could do it. But…"

"But what?"

"Didn't you just tell me they implanted explosives in that other one? Number 35? Mariko? What would stop them from doing the same to you?"

She honestly hadn't thought about that. Despair threatened to sweep in on her.

"Oh…" was all she said. Daisuke's gaze softened.

"Don't lose hope Nana. If you ask them, and they agree to it, I'll do whatever I have to do to make sure they don't turn you into some walking bomb. Even if I have to personally stand in the room with a damn gun pressed against the surgeon's head. I won't let them hurt you Nana. I just won't."

"Oh Daisuke…"

"Can't," he said contemptuously, "can't stand with them anymore. Not after…everything I've seen. All the things you've told me."

Part of her wanted to argue with him about that. A small part of her wanted to tell him not to make such an obviously big decision on her account. However, her anger towards the Institute was such that she didn't believe they deserved Daisuke among them anyway. Besides, he had already made that choice when he helped her escape the Institute's clutches two days ago.

There was, however, something else to consider.

"Daisuke," Nana said in a small voice, "what will you do then? When it's over? Do you really think they'll just let you walk away?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but Nana interrupted him, "do you really think…they'll let…me…walk away?"

He looked at her without speaking. He didn't have an answer for that. Or maybe he did, and simply didn't want to voice it. After a time, he sighed and offered her a small smile. He raised his hand and pressed it against her face. She lifted her own hand, and rested it behind his own, pressing it against her cheek.

"Nana…whatever happens, you've got me. I have your back no matter what. We'll work with the Institute now because we don't have a choice, but afterwards? We'll leave if we have to; convince your family to come with us. If that's not good enough…I'll fight them any way I must."

"We'll fight," Nana said, correcting him, "I would never let you face them alone."

Nana closed her eyes and kissed his palm. She felt his hands reach for her again, gently pulling her against him. She let him. Resting her head upon his chest, she could feel his heart beating. After the horror of the previous night, nothing else seemed so wonderful to her as that heartbeat.

"Dad used to tell me," Daisuke said, "that people come into your lives for a reason. That it's not coincidence. He wasn't really religious, my dad. At least not any more than anyone else, but he believed in fate. A reason for everything, and all that, you know?"

He let out a contented sigh, "think I finally see what he meant."

"So it's fate that brought us here?"

"I think it's fate that we met. As for us being here right now?"

He shifted so he could look at her. Nana raised her head and some of her hair fell down over her face. Daisuke reached up and brushed it away.

"I think fate shows us the door, but we're the ones who decide if we walk through."

"Then I'm glad," she said in a whisper, "that you decided to walk with me."

She hoped he always would, and that this would not end somehow.

Nana knew she was falling in love with him, if she wasn't already in love. How long did it take to know it? To know for sure that love was what she was feeling? If this wasn't love, it was close, but how close? A stone's throw? An arm's length? A breath? A whisper?

"Nana…" he said in a long whispering breath.

…that was it.

Just a whisper…


	41. Those Who Walk With Fallen Angels

**AN: This has probably been my longest absence yet between updates. Future ones may unfortunately be similarly long as it would appear I don't know how not to pile on responsibilities :P. **

**So after what seems like an incalculable amount of time agonizing over this thing, second guessing, and revising the hell out of it, I feel this is the best version of the chapter I've managed to put together. This was, without a doubt, the most difficult chapter I've written so far, for so many reasons. Because of this, it was tempting to just keep it in limbo and proofread it forever, but that was more apprehensiveness than professionalism. The update I recently typed on my profile can elaborate on some of those feelings.  
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**At any rate, sorry for the long wait and here finally, is chapter 41. Fair warning (for those wishing to avoid it); this chapter features content of a highly sexual nature at its second half.  
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**With that said...  
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><p>Mayu clutched her bag tightly as she followed her escort down the hallway.<p>

Moving briskly, they passed doctors and soldiers standing around, or going about their business. The orderly chaos was somewhat overwhelming to witness, especially considering the relative quiet of her recovery room earlier. It was not the bustle of activity which made her nervous. The sense of warning that had sparked within her earlier was only growing stronger.

"How is Nana doing?" she asked, wanting some light conversation to dispel her own anxiety, "did she seem ok?"

Her escort turned his head half towards her somewhat rapidly, then returned his gaze straight ahead.

"She's fine," was all he offered, in a rough, subdued voice.

"And Daisuke?" she asked.

"Who?"

"The soldier that she's with."

"Oh," he said, pausing a moment, "right. He's doing fine. Could be awake soon, if he's not already."

There was something off about this man. Something she couldn't place…something nagging at the corners of her mind, but the shadows there were too dark for her to make out the images clearly. Dread was gripping her inexplicitly, seeing the half remembered images as the blurred remnants of an old nightmare.

She looked up at him, but he was looking straight ahead. It seemed odd to her because while his face was fixed calmly in one direction, his eyes were darting around. Almost as though he were nervous. It was making Mayu nervous.

"Do you have a name?" she asked.

"Name?" he repeated, as though he hadn't heard her. It wasn't that loud in the hallway.

"Yes," Mayu said, "your name."

Hesitation there, and a furtive glance in her direction. Mayu planted her feet suddenly, no longer willing to follow the soldier. Her instincts were screaming at her and she decided it was time to listen.

"That isn't against protocol is it?" Mayu asked, her tone slightly harsh, "I am allowed to know it aren't I?"

"Of course, but we're almost…"

She saw a small ember of panic enter his eyes at something he saw in front of him. Mayu turned her attention back in front of her, and was stunned near silent to see Nana walking briskly towards her, flanked by a soldier as an escort, a wide smile on her face.

"Mayu!" She cried out, breaking into a jog.

Tears stung Mayu's eyes as all her anxiety was instantly forgotten. She bypassed the strange soldier, and rushed towards Nana, pulling her into a crushing hug which Nana returned in kind. For a few moments, both girls just cried into one another's shoulders. It was one thing to know Nana had been safe, but quite another to see her again.

Before giving in to her joy at seeing Nana again, Mayu quickly looked around for the soldier who had brought her out here. He was nowhere to be found. A chill ran down Mayu's spine, but vanished as she felt Nana's plastic hands take hold of her face, turning it back towards her.

"I'm so glad you're ok," Nana said with a wobbly smile, another tear sliding down her face. Mayu let her anxiety go, and beamed at Nana.

"I'm glad you're ok too," Mayu said, "Kouta…he told me you were, but…"

"But I was under watch, I know," Nana finished, "that's why I was coming to see you. I didn't think anyone had the time to let you all know I'm not off limits."

Mayu looked around again for the strange soldier, knowing it was a futile effort. She hadn't really gotten a good look at his face, and his features were quite plain. For all she knew, he could still be in the hallway and she might simply have already forgotten what he looked like.

"Someone did," Mayu said, "a soldier showed up and told me you were asking to have me brought to you."

As Mayu turned back to face Nana, she noticed the other girl's face screwed up in confusion.

"I…didn't ask anyone to get you."

Ice once again crawled up Mayu's spine. Where had the other soldier really been taking her? Nana turned to look at the soldier who was with her.

"That man," the soldier said, "he just walked away from you. Didn't think anything of it at the time but…"

The soldier reached for his radio, "going to call it in, just in case. Could be we've got a spook running around in here. Command will want to know. You alright now Nana?"

Nana nodded towards the man, "yes, thank you Tenchi."

The soldier, Tenchi, nodded towards Nana and Mayu, then walked away as he began speaking on his radio. The sound of his voice was quickly drowned out by the general din around them. Nana linked an arm though Mayu's and gave her a brilliant smile.

"Kouta and Yuka are here?" Nana asked.

"They are," Mayu replied, "I'll take you to them."

They began to walk together, and Mayu felt an incredible amount of comfort having Nana there beside her…but…

"Nana, not that I'm not grateful to see you right now, but…why AM I being allowed to see you? You don't even have an escort…or…that vector…thing."

"The nullifier," Nana said with a measure of disgust, "no, they're letting me walk around. As long as I stay here at the hospital, they told me it would be alright."

"But why?"

Nana's smile evaporated slowly until it was a thin line across her face, "because they need us. Me and Lucy. They haven't asked me yet, but I'm sure they will soon…"

Mayu's own smile evaporated.

"Angel," she said contemptuously. Her wounds seemed to ache suddenly, as though she'd just remembered the pain.

Nana confirmed this with a nod, "I know she's still hurting people out there. I overheard Tenchi talking on his radio on our way here. They were talking about a bunch of soldiers who were found torn apart close to…home. They're sure it was her."

Nana turned a frustrated gaze towards the floor as they walked, "it's always like this. They lose control of something they never really had control of in the first place. Then they turn to us to fix it."

"I know," Mayu said, anger flooding her heart, "it isn't right. You don't owe these people anything."

"No," she said angrily, "but just the same…I'd be glad to do it. Not for them, but for me."

Nana stopped walking then, and leaned against the wall, breathing a sigh. She stared down the hallway silently, lost in thought. Mayu joined Nana, leaning against the wall with her. In silence, they watched the bustle of activity for a while. Every so often, Mayu caught glances from soldiers, and hospital staff. Some glances were curious, some friendly, some fearful, some with barely disguised dislike. A few of those stares were directed at Mayu as well. Runoff from being seen with Nana, no doubt. It was infuriating, and made Mayu want to scream at them all to mind their own business. She hated them for staring. Nana deserved better than this, after everything she'd been through.

Looking over at Nana, Mayu knew she had to be thinking the same thing.

"These people," Nana said, "the soldiers. Many of them have been kind to me because I saved Daisuke's life. Maybe the people in charge might even thank me if we stop Angel…but…what then? I…just can't see anything really changing if we do this for them. I feel like I'm going to be living the rest of my life apologizing for what I am. Or being ashamed of it. Or…fighting back, when shame and apologies aren't enough for people. How long can I live like that? Before…I just…give up."

Nana closed her eyes and sighed again. Mayu knew how frustrating this had to be for Nana, and hated that she couldn't do more to comfort her friend. It was true what Nana was saying, and it seemed childish to deny it. Nana and Lucy had been fighting their whole lives just for the small slice of happiness they wound up with. Mayu knew, however, that some of these people might never be satisfied until all of their happiness, and their lives, were gone. And for what?

"Can't help but wonder," Nana said, "if they'll really be through with me after this. Maybe I'm only fooling myself, and a month from now, there will just be another hunter with orders to put me down. Or use me."

"If it comes to that Nana, we won't let them. I won't."

"We can't fight the world Mayu…"

"We can try. I'm sure a couple of angry Diclonius girls, and certain military guys, can give the world a few bruises," Mayu said, with a small grin. This pulled a small grin from Nana, despite herself.

"Mayu…"

"Listen," Mayu said, "you're family, and we're in this together. For the long haul. If we really do have to fight the world, than so be it. I'm in if you are. We aren't about to turn our backs on you now."

Nana turned back to face Mayu, purple-pink hair spilling down one side of it as she smiled warmly.

"Come on," Mayu said, pushing away from the wall and beckoning Nana to follow, "not sure where Yuka went to, but I left Kouta in my room. He was asleep when I left to take a shower. Must be exhausted."

"Well, maybe we should wait until…"

"He'll want to see you Nana, come on."

"No Mayu…that's not…" without finishing her sentence, Nana merely pointed to something behind Mayu. She turned around to see what Nana was pointing at, and froze.

Before her was a group of soldiers, and a few others. One of those others was an impeccably well dressed man, or at least there was the ghost of perfection in his state of dress. The man, while alarmingly handsome, looked somewhat harried and ragged, despite his state of dress. This man was busying himself with another soldier who held himself with the confidence of someone in charge. They were talking in hushed, serious tones.

It was not the man, or his audience, which interested Mayu however. It was the two people walking with them, leading the pack.

Before her, were none other than Bando, and Lucy. Alive, and seemingly well. Both looked exhausted, and fresh from a fight but none embodied that look more aptly than Bando. He slowed to a stop when he saw her, disbelief in his eyes. Mayu was sure that the disbelief went both ways, as she stared at him, taking in his physical features. Mostly to convince herself he was really standing there.

He was dressed in a ragged pair of jeans and a shirt under a tactical vest. His clothes were ripped, dirty, and bloodstained, as were his hands and forearms. His lengthening hair, was wind tossed and wild, some of it getting in his eyes. The wild look was completed by what looked like three day old facial hair. Bando radiated strength and violence. He was the vision of a warrior, born in the wrong era. He was an image of filth, bloodstains, and grittiness over coiled violence, but in his eyes were warmth, relief, and most of all, love.

He was frightening to behold, and he had never looked more beautiful to her in all the time she had ever known him.

"Bando," she whispered, knowing he wouldn't have heard the sound over the voices surrounding them. She walked slowly towards Bando, and the soldiers that had been walking with them, simply moved around them as they dispersed into the hospital. It was almost like watching a river made of men, cascading around an immovable object that refused to be washed away.

"Bando…" she whispered again, her heart all the way in her throat. He was close enough now that he would have heard the whisper over the din.

He seemed to be without words, but Mayu saw him reach a hand up, towards her. She instantly grasped it in both of her hands.

"You're alive," Mayu said in a small voice. She could feel the tears coming again, stronger this time. He had survived, made it out of there somehow. Of course he did, she chastised herself. Of course he made it out. He could do anything. Could take on anyone. Nothing and no one could kill Bando.

"Made you a promise sweetheart," he said softly, or at least as softly as his rough tone ever allowed him to be, "and I keep…my promises."

Tears spilled down her face, and she rushed forward to throw her arms around his neck, but he stepped back slightly.

"Mayu, I'm bloody, you don't want…"

"Damn you Bando, shut up," she snapped as she grabbed fistfuls of his vest and pulled herself towards him. Not caring who was around them she kissed him roughly before he could protest, then threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. She was crying now, sobbing with relief that Bando had come back to her alive. She had spent the past few hours agonizing over his fate, and part of her had believed him to be dead back on that island. It had been a thought she'd tried very hard to keep out of her mind, but that fear had been a source of constant anxiety and dread. It wasn't that she hadn't believed in him, but the odds against him had been so devastatingly overwhelming.

Another wave of sobs swept through her, and she fisted her hands in his hair and shirt, holding him as though she feared he would fly apart otherwise. She felt his arms encircle her, somewhat more gently, to hold her against him. Nothing else seemed to exist except him and nothing was more important then the fact that he was alive. There was no sound, no voices, no reality outside of his arms, as far as she was concerned. Bando was alive. Her warrior was alive. He smelled of sweat, blood, and gunpowder, but she didn't care. He was alive.

"Had to get back to you…wasn't going to let anything stop me…no lies…not to you…" Bando said in a broken whisper. Never had she heard this kind of emotion in his voice. Never.

"Oh God…Bando I…I thought I might never see you again. I thought you were dead."

"I thought YOU were dead for a little while Mayu. I heard what that…fucking…creature…did to you," he said with acidic contempt.

"I'm ok though Bando," she said, "I think you taught me how to be bulletproof."

They both laughed, and parted slightly to look at one another. Shock silenced her when she saw the tears on Bando's face. He huffed in what might have been a laugh once he realized what she was staring at, and quickly wiped them from his face.

"Bando…"

"Didn't think there were any left in me," he said, "damn you…"

She reached up and took his face in her hands, "I love you so much Bando. I should have known…never should have doubted for a second you'd come back."

"Almost didn't," he said, taking another step back and looking over to a point slightly behind Mayu, "if it weren't for Lucy, I wouldn't be standing here."

Mayu turned around and finally noticed Lucy standing near them, a respectful distance away. She looked happy, but a little lost. A pang of guilt went through Mayu at that moment. It wasn't exactly that Mayu had forgotten about her, but she had to admit, Lucy had taken a backseat to knowing Bando was still alive. Lucy smiled at Mayu, though the smile was stained with sadness.

Lucy was dressed in new clothes which looked to be of impressive quality. Dark jeans, boots with a slight heel, a top with shifting colors resembling autumn leaves, and a dark coat which fit her extraordinarily well, reaching just below her hips. Mayu wondered where the clothes could have come from as she couldn't remember Lucy wearing anything like this before. They suited her. The clothes were somewhat scuffed from what must have been the fight Bando was involved in, but other than that, she looked gorgeous. It made the sadness in her smile, and posture, all the more heartbreaking.

Mayu smiled widely at Lucy, while wiping her eyes.

"Lucy," came Nana's voice to the side. Lucy focused on Nana and Mayu saw her eyes flicker, as they often did, to Nana's synthetic arms. There was genuine happiness, and relief in Nana's eyes at seeing Lucy. However, it seemed that even this was not enough to elevate Lucy's mood.

"Hello you two," Lucy finally said, "I'm…so glad you're both sa…"

Nana rushed Lucy as she had rushed Mayu earlier, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"Lucy," Nana cried, "I'm so glad to see you. I'm so glad you're alive and ok. I was so scared that Angel had killed you…"

"She tried, just not hard enough," Lucy said, trying to keep her tone light as she returned Nana's embrace. She couldn't quite disguise the hatred. Mayu could hardly blame her for it.

"Thank you Lucy," Mayu said, "for bringing Bando back alive. For saving us from Angel. You have no idea how grateful I am…"

Mayu stepped forward and joined Nana in hugging Lucy. She was so glad to see Lucy. She was so glad they were all alive. So many terrible things had befallen then that Mayu hadn't really conceived that they'd all be reunited like this. Mayu felt one of Lucy's arms encircle her, and grip the back of her shirt in a loose fist.

After a few moments of silence, Mayu looked up to see Lucy staring at Bando, something unseen passing between them.

"Is it sinking in yet?" Bando said, "this is where you belong, and you deserve to belong. Can't always choose where you start in this life, but you decide where you end up. So, decide."

Lucy only nodded, regarding him with a warm smile, as though he were a friend. That look was being returned by Bando and it was obvious to Mayu that whatever they had gone through out there, it had forged a bond between them. An understanding. Mayu made a mental note to make Bando tell her all about it.

Lucy looked towards Mayu and smiled.

"He's a good man," said Lucy, "in a way…he kind of saved me too."

"He does that," Mayu said, beaming at Bando.

"Yeah well, I'm trying something new these days. Working on not being a son of a bitch," Bando said, his composure regained, and his humor returning.

"He's getting better at it," Lucy said with a smile, "but he's still a son of a bitch."

Bando smiled back, then laughed. After the moment had passed, Bando's mirth melted into a more serious tone.

"You're here Lucy," he said, "go find him."

Lucy took a deep breath, exhaled, and nodded towards Bando. Mayu pointed in the direction she and Nana had been walking before.

"He's in my room sleeping. Take the second right, third door on the left."

"Thank you," Lucy said quietly. She gave them all a last look, than started down the hallway alone.

After a few moments, Bando turned his attention to Nana, "I see the kid took good care of you. Daisuke."

Nana's smile faltered, "wish I could say the same…I let that monster…"

"You fought that monster," Bando interjected, "right? Doesn't sound to me like you let that bitch do anything, so you know what? Cool it. I've had about enough today of self pity to last me the next several years, so give it a rest and put the blame where it belongs."

Mayu moved towards Bando, who circled an arm around her waist companionably. Mayu leaned into him, and rested her head against his chest, wishing he wasn't wearing the armor so she could feel his heart beat.

"Is he alright?" Bando asked.

"Yes, he survived the night. They had to give him new arms though. She…hurt him really bad."

"Good to hear he's alive. I know he sprung you from that shithole the Institute called a mainland HQ. You must have made quite an impression on him."

"I don't know…" she said shyly, a deepening blush on her face.

"I do," Mayu said, with a grin, "I saw the way he was looking at you yesterday."

Nana blushed harder, Mayu chuckled.

"He's cute," Mayu teased.

"I noticed that," Nana said, not quite looking at her.

The light moment was cut short by the sound of a man clearing his throat. All three turned towards the sound.

The presence of the well dressed man suddenly dawned on all of them. He had been standing a respectful distance away during the reunion, talking with other soldiers and issuing various orders. He exuded a commanding presence, almost without effort. He held himself like a person who was long used to being in charge, but it was more than that. There was a cold arrogance about him, as though his confidence came only from believing that the people around him, were inferior. The effect of his presence was broken, however, by an almost constant anxiety. Watching him, she noticed him constantly looking around, his eyes darting around reflexively as though he had just woken up from a nightmare.

When he realized they were looking in his direction, he held up a hand to silence the voices around him. The effect was admittedly impressive as quiet suddenly took hold in the part of the hallway they occupied. The silence was all the more ominous for the continued din of people further away, and behind partially closed doors leading to sickrooms. He took slow, gliding steps towards them, regarding each person with a cold gaze, revealing little behind the mask of indifference, beyond the obvious anxiety he seemed to be feeling. He had haunted eyes, and they chilled her.

Bando gently moved Mayu aside and slightly behind him in a protective gesture, stepping forward to address the man.

"So," Bando said, all business now, "you would be him right? Director Erich Vanith?"

The man, Erich, regarded Bando coldly, then swept his gaze across the rest of them, lingering on Nana. He began speaking while his gaze was still upon her, and slowly refocused on Bando as he spoke.

"You are correct," said Erich in a seductive drawl, "I am Director Vanith."

Erich's voice was almost hypnotizing, and he didn't appear to be deliberately fashioning his voice in this way. His accent was foreign, cultured, and deep, though it flowed through the air more like a whisper than a voice. It was only because Mayu had become so good at seeing emotions that others preferred to hide, that she could hear something hollow and strained in his voice. It was the voice of a person who had been rendered cold and hollow from some kind of emotional trauma.

"You…" Nana said to him, "Daisuke called Angel…your…Diclonius."

Shame now, in his eyes. It was barely perceptible, but Mayu noticed it. His eyes flickered around to the wall and floor behind them, before finally, reluctantly, settling upon Nana.

"She…is my sin. Yes."

"Then it's true. You made her into that…monster," Mayu said, remembering the cruel smile on Angel's face when she pulled the trigger. Mayu knew she would be seeing that smile in her nightmares.

Erich turned his attention towards Mayu, "she already was a monster when I first met her…but I am responsible for sharpening her claws."

"Who is she?" Mayu demanded, "that witch shot me last night and tore our lives apart! Who is she? You owe us that!"

He nodded slowly.

"I have been asking that question…for five years," said Erich, in a weary voice, "I still cannot say that I really know who she is. The 'what', had always seemed to be more important. To both her and I. However, I think perhaps you people can help me find the 'who' in a way I couldn't in the past."

He strolled absently across the hall past them, lost in thought, "she's destroyed so much because of 'what' she is, but I know, beyond doubt, that she chose your family because of 'who' she is. Perhaps if I have a chance to understand you all, even in a small way, I will find…her."

"Begging your pardon Director," Bando said, stepping forward and getting his attention, "but fuck you. These people have been through enough without having to worry about some unhinged, fuckwit slave master who dropped the ball and now wants to play mind games with the victims."

As Bando stepped towards Erich, some of the soldiers near him moved as though to stop Bando. Erich stopped them with a flick of his wrist.

"I don't give a rat's ass whether or not you 'get' this bitch," Bando snapped, "you want to understand what makes that psycho tick? You have until I put a bullet in her fucking skull, or Lucy splatters her over half of Kamakura, to find out."

"You are Bando Kimura, yes?" Erich said coldly, "I don't doubt your bravery, or ability, but since you seem to be familiar with Angel, I'll ask you to take a step back and think hard about all the bodies you've had to step over on your way here. I know you saw the wreckage of the convoy. I'm pretty sure all of those men believed, given enough military strength, they'd get the job done. Those men are now dead. Hunting parties that chased her are dead. The Institute's elite are dead."

Erich leaned in until he was a few inches from Bando's face, anger burning in his eyes now, the first real hint of passion that Erich had shown thus far, "we have been doing it 'your' way for the past few days. You really want to keep at it that way?"

"Every warrior has a weakness Vanith. I made my career discovering them."

Erich nodded, "in that Bando, we agree. I believe I can find a way into that weakness, but it isn't going to be found with weapons, or violent force. That, is where she is strong. That, is where she will break you. If you play her game, you will lose, just like everyone else."

"Lucy didn't lose," Nana said defiantly, "she was strong enough to stand up to Angel!"

"I saw Lucy after she fought Angel," Erich said, turning towards Nana, "she looked like Hell spit her back out. She would have died if we had not happened upon her last night. All Lucy did, was manage to survive. Angel's still out there. Perhaps it is true that Lucy didn't lose, but she sure as hell didn't win either."

His gaze settled on some spot on the wall, "Angel chose you for a reason. I was not aware she had insinuated herself with a group of people in the city. I…thought…that she was only interested in torturing me. Punishing me, for those years I kept her locked away."

He clasped his hands behind his back, "I was wrong. It was not revenge she was looking for, and she did not include any of you in her game with me. You and your family…that was something different…"

He trailed off and became lost in thought. After a few moments, Erich turned back to the group, "we'll talk more about this later. You have all been through a lot, I understand. Later this evening, we will discuss Angel, and what must be done about Westmore. Tonight, I will tell you about Angel…everything that I can tell."

Erich made a show of looking around, "Arakawa was not with you when you entered the building with Lucy," he said, addressing Bando, "I was rather hoping to speak with her about Red Sky."

"She's here," he replied, "she said she needed time alone. She's going through some reports we recently got from Commander Ryota and wants to be involved in the briefing tonight. She did say, in no uncertain terms, that it would be in your best interest not to go looking for her until Ryota gets back from the field."

"And why would that be?"

Bando leaned in, glaring at Erich, "because apparently you threw her to the wolves, sending her down here to the late Director Kakuzawa. She's not altogether sure she won't decide to thank you with a bullet. You've got a lot of shit to answer for Vanith."

Erich turned away from them, "I am aware of that. I know that there is…no escape…for me. The debts will be paid Bando. Be assured of it."

He began walking away, "tonight," was all he said.

The sea of men parted as he moved through them. All kept their eyes on the man as he left them, moving slowly. Walking in that way doomed men walk to their execution. For a moment, Mayu felt pity for Erich. Shadows haunted his voice and his eyes, and Mayu knew it took very terrible things to put them there.

A chill went through her at the funereal nature of him. Bando drew her closer against his chest, and she welcomed it, reaching up to grasp his forearms.

"He scares me," Mayu said quietly.

"Him? He's a pen pusher who played with fire, got burned, and now he's rattled. He's not worth being afraid of."

"No…it's…not that," Mayu said, "he's more than just rattled Bando."

She felt Bando snap to attention. Nana merely stared curiously towards her.

"Alright," Bando said, "then what is it?"

Mayu shook her head, "I don't know…he…just seems like a shell. Something about that scares me. Like seeing a dead man get up and walk around."

Nana looked out towards where Erich had disappeared, and nodded her agreement.

"He reminds me a little of how…Papa…used to be sometimes. It wasn't until he died that I understood why he was like that."

Nana looked over towards Mayu, "he was just looking for a time, and place to die. He sentenced himself to death for crimes he felt guilty of, and stopped thinking of himself as being a part of the world."

"Nana…"

"He just had one last thing to do," Nana said, "and when he'd done it…he died."

Mayu and Bando were silent, as what Nana was really saying, started to sink in.

"That guilt…that was always there in Papa. It's in him too. He's ready to die…I can feel it…"

There was something terrifying about being close to a person and knowing they were ready to die. Not in the way that death was a possible outcome of some future endeavor, but rather knowing that they wanted it. Anticipated it. Moving purposefully and inexorably towards it. It made Mayu's blood run cold.

Mayu felt Bando step from behind her, and brush a strand of hair from her face.

"I still don't see what's so scary about a blue blood in a permanent state of shock, but I'll keep my eyes open. If what you're saying is true, and he's gearing up for some spectacular murder-suicide, I'll make sure he doesn't take anyone else with him but the people who deserve it."

Mayu nodded and Bando smiled.

"Alright," he said, "I'm long overdue to get cleaned up. Don't know how you can stand being close to me like this."

"I'm not soft Bando," Mayu said with a crooked smile, "ever since I met you, life just doesn't seem real to me without a little dirt and frayed edges. Or a lot of it."

She reached up and pressed her hand into his stubble, "it's like you're carved out of stone. Always liked that about you Bando. That's how I can stand it."

He smiled, reaching up to brush the back of her hand with his fingertips. She lowered her hand, and he took a few small steps backward, preparing to leave.

"Nana, stick with her?" he said, "just look out for each other until I get back. Pretty sure we're safe here but…"

"I know," Mayu said, looking towards Nana, then back at Bando, "complacency kills."

"Good girl."

He waved once, then walked off down the hall. Mayu watched him leave, feasting on the sight of him; simply the fact that he was alive and returned to her. The warm smile on her face faltered somewhat when she looked over at Nana and saw her staring down the hallway Erich had gone.

"Nana, what is it?"

"I…" she began, taking a deep breath, "could you come with me to find that man? Erich? I'd…like to ask him something."

Mayu noticed Nana staring pointedly at her synthetic arms as she had spoken.

"I want to know if they can do for me, what they did for Daisuke. If…they will. Been thinking about it since Daisuke was through with his operation. I know it's risky…for a lot of reasons…but…"

Mayu placed a hand on Nana's shoulder, silencing her.

"I understand Nana," she said, "let's go. It's probably just as well we find something else to do. As I said, I'm not sure where Yuka went to, and I've got a feeling that Lucy and Kouta are going to want some time to themselves."

With that, they started down the hallway they'd seen Erich walk down. Mayu found herself enormously grateful for the company, and if she was honest with herself, the relative physical protection of a Diclonius.

She could feel his eyes on her. The strange soldier. Dread settled in her heart at knowing whoever he was, he would try to come for her again. Mayu knew that the next time it happened, it wasn't likely to be with guile and lies.

She knew that next time, there would be violence.

* * *

><p>The door was cracked slightly as Lucy approached it, her heart thundering in her chest. Reaching her arm out towards the doorknob, she brushed it lightly with her fingers, feeling a lot like she was dreaming. Was she really here? Was this happening? Would she open the door to a flash of light, and just wake up back in her hospital bed, finding out this was just a dream? And if it wasn't a dream…God…<p>

_Just walk inside Lucy. _

She trembled slightly as she gently pushed aside the last barrier between herself, and Kouta. Would he be happy to see her? Maybe angry at first? She had said some awful things to him that night. Was he still thinking about them? Did he see through her bluff? He probably did. He…

Enough.

Gently pushing the door open, she cracked it just enough so that she could slip inside. The room was sparsely lit by a small household lamp that was on a shelf on the far wall by the bed. Lucy recognized the lamp from the main hallway of Maple Inn. She wondered who could have packed it, wanting some reminder of home with them here. Lucy was glad for it, as the soft light it gave made her feel very much at ease. Slipping inside the room, she quietly pushed the door closed until it clicked shut.

Once the hallway light was blocked off, the room took on a far more intimate quality. The gentle light still left the room largely in darkness, but what light there was took the form of a soft, gold glow that reflected off of various surfaces in a way that highlighted their edges, while spilling across flat surfaces like paint. Light crawled along a nearby table and seemed to vanish, as though the glow had reached as far as it could, the boundary between light, and darkness, looking much like a torn page. The effect also spilled over Lucy's body, illuminating parts of her, and casting the rest in a soft darkness.

The room was quiet except for the sound of the central heating system that created a pleasant, unobtrusive sound of flowing air. It was just loud enough to drown out the faraway sounds of life on the other side of the door. In the dim light, and the quiet, Lucy felt like she had stepped into another dimension where no one else on Earth existed, except for her…and…

…Kouta…

He slept, slumped on a chair that was pushed against the corner. The light from the lamp didn't seem to reach him very well, but she could still make out his features easily. The shadows playing across his face only made him seem more beautiful to her. Lucy took in the details of his clothing next. He wore a heavy pair of dark, faded blue jeans, and a shirt that she hadn't seen him wear in a while. It was a black, short sleeved button up shirt that looked as though it might once have been a dress shirt, only the sleeves had been cut short to his biceps. Bits of loose thread had escaped it throughout the past few months, and they hung around his arms in varying lengths.

Kouta had told Lucy he'd outgrown it a few years ago, and she didn't know why he hadn't just thrown it away, or donated it along with some other clothes. One afternoon, however, she had caught him wearing it in front of a mirror, checking himself out with a shy sort of vanity. It clung to his body in such a way that it gave the illusion of him being in shape. Not that he was ever out of shape, but he certainly didn't look much like he ever lifted weights. Mostly because he didn't.

Lucy had been unable to contain herself that day, giggling at what she perceived as an vanity somewhat uncharacteristic of him. She'd let him squirm for a while before letting him know what she thought of the sight of him in those clothes. She had explained it to him for several hours, though there hadn't been a lot of talking involved.

She smiled sadly at the memory. One of many belonging to a time before she had ruined everything and brought the Institute back into the lives of the people she cared about. She swore she would make things right somehow, but she had sworn that before, and just look where that had gotten them. It seemed like no matter what she did, someone got hurt because of her. And not the ones who most deserved it.

She walked in slow steps towards Kouta, willing him to awaken and see her here. It must have worked somehow, for when she got three steps from him, he stirred. Lucy stopped moving.

"Mayu…?" he said in a yawn, his eyes only now beginning to open. Even in the near dark, Lucy could clearly make out the shape of his eyes as they opened and began to scan the room. She knew he couldn't quite recognize her yet, coming so suddenly from sleep, and waking to a sparsely lit room.

"Kouta…" Lucy said softly, saying his name like a soft caress. She wanted to rush forward and throw her arms around him. She wanted to beg forgiveness for what she had put him, and everyone through. She wanted to feel his arms around her and his lips upon her until exhaustion took them both from consciousness. She wanted him in every conceivable way she could imagine ever wanting another person. Those feelings were screaming inside of her.

She instead remained still, allowing him to recognize the person standing in front of him. She saw his chest stop moving as he held his breath, recognizing her finally. For a long moment, he said nothing.

"I'm…dreaming…aren't I?" Kouta said finally, his gaze locked onto hers. Shock, and disbelief in his words.

"If you are…" Lucy said, tears threatening to spill over onto her cheeks, "than so am I. So don't wake up Kouta…not yet."

Kouta slowly rose to his feet, "can't…be real."

He took a small step towards her, and she took one towards him. Soft light flashed and flickered on Kouta's face. Lucy trembled as she got closer to him, wondering yet again, if this really was all a dream.

They did not speak, but only gazed at one another in silence. Drinking in every feature, listening to his nearly inaudible breathing. Finally, Lucy stepped closer, bending her head slightly and reaching for Kouta's hands which were at his sides.

"I'm real," Lucy whispered, touching his fingers with hers, then threading them into his hands, "see?"

Kouta let out a quick breath and squeezed her hands. Her chest felt like he had squeezed that too.

"You're really here…" Kouta said, "you didn't die."

"No Kouta, I didn't die."

Kouta abruptly unwound his hands from Lucy's, and reached around her waist, pulling her to him tightly. She threw her arms around his neck and held on almost desperately.

"Didn't know what happened to you," he whispered in a quivering voice, at her ear, "…thought you were…gone…"

Shame crawled into her heart, as fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm always doing this to you," she said, "I'm so sorry I always do this to you Kouta. I always leave you wondering if I'm alive or dead. It's cruel and unfair and I'm…s…sorry…"

Tears slid down her face. Kouta's grip on her tightened as he let out a breath of relief and pain. Lucy felt awful.

"I'm….s…so…sorry…"

"Lucy…it's not your fault…"

"No Kouta," she said, stopping him, "…it is. I love you for believing in me, but I…really messed up. Made so many…mistakes…"

She took a ragged shuddering breath, and Kouta pulled back, reaching up to brush the hair away from her face and pressed his hands against her cheeks.

"Lucy…don't do this to yourself…"

"I wish I were only hurting myself," she said, "I could at least live with that."

She slid her hands around his waist, and gripped his shirt in loose fists.

"I should have listened to you Kouta. I should never have gone back," Lucy said, closing her eyes, "going back there was a terrible mistake. If I had never gone back, none of this would be happening right now. This is all my fault and I…can't…stand it. I was so…stupid."

"Lucy, you can't know that. Everything that's happening here is just to big to lay it all on you."

"A stone in a pond Kouta. I fell into the water and this whole city can feel the ripples."

"Lucy, look at me," he whispered. She did, and wondered why she had ever closed her eyes in the first place, depriving herself of his image. Part of her needed to talk, and part of her needed him to stop talking and just kiss her. Make her shut up and stop wasting time. She'd wasted enough of it already.

"Since I've been here, I've heard all about what that woman's done here," he said, "the Institute isn't here because of you. As far as they're concerned, you're an afterthought. It's her they want. Angel. If you're a stone in a pond, she's the ten ton rock that followed you."

"And I set her free. I let her loose upon you and the rest of this city. I…God…I brought her home…into our home…"

Angel. The only creature on this earth she hated more than herself. If it was the last thing she ever did, she was going to kill that monstrous woman.

"Lucy, what happened to her? Is she…"

"No," she said, despairingly, "she escaped."

She saw a little pride flash in Kouta's eyes, "escaped? So she couldn't beat you."

Shame flooded her, mixing with the bitter hatred, "she…did beat me. She just couldn't kill me. I just couldn't understand why. I didn't care. She hesitated, and I hurt her. Bad. She couldn't fight anymore and just ran…but she's still alive."

Fear suddenly took her, and she gripped Kouta's shirt harder, "she thinks…Kouta she wants you all dead."

"I know Lucy," he said gravely, "she spoke to us a little after she took Yuka and I back into the house."

Kouta stepped to the side, releasing Lucy as he began to slowly pace around the room.

"She didn't really talk much," he went on, "just stood there, staring at the door. She had all these painful looking cuts but it was like she didn't notice. Yuka tried asking about them. I think she was hoping to get through to Angel by seeming to care about her wounds. Yuka wanted to know if she could do something to help ease the pain. Angel just looked at her and said 'you don't know what pain is', and that 'you have to experience it first before you know how to master it, but that it was a mistake to ever want it to go away'. She promised to show her what pain was. Promised us both."

Black hatred surged through Lucy and her hands fisted. If only Angel were in front of her now…

"She said we were making you forget about your pain," he went on, "said we were making you weak and that soon you would no longer know how to deal with your past. She said if you stayed with us, we would make you forget who you were…that you'd lose yourself forever. She said once a person forgot they were wearing chains, they would live like slaves forever."

Kouta stopped pacing and turned towards her, "Lucy, what does she want with you?"

"I don't know," she said, "but I think she was trying to prove something to herself. She was just using me to do it. Kouta, she completely expected me to kill you and Yuka last night. She was unprepared for my refusal."

"Jesus…" he exclaimed.

"She…just lost her mind after that. All that control and composure, just…gone. She screamed and raged like some kind of animal. Angel still thinks by killing you and the others, that she can still make this work. Whatever it is she's after."

She hadn't really meant to say that, it had just come out. A flash of horror came over Kouta's face. Lucy hadn't meant to frighten him.

"I'm not going to let that happen Kouta," she said, "I promise. I know I've let you down a lot and I'm really sorry but…I swear to you Kouta, she will not take you away from me."

She said that last bit in a sort of vehement growl, her fists clenched and her breathing somewhat heavier.

"She…won't…take you away… from…me…"

"Lucy," he said, his face softening as he walked closer towards her. She hadn't realized she had started crying again.

"I'll tear her apart…" she said savagely through her tears as Kouta reached her and slid his arms around her waist. She threw her arms around his neck, holding him tightly against her.

"I won't let anyone take you away from me," Lucy said in a slashing whisper, "I love you too goddamn much to lose you. Especially to people like Angel who think they can tell me who I am or what I deserve."

She paused then, tears still sliding down her face. She felt somehow like she had said too much, or was no longer talking about Angel.

"Lucy," Kouta whispered, "about Yuka…"

Lucy tried to step away. She didn't get far before Kouta grabbed her upper arms to hold her still. Lucy closed her eyes and looked away, hair falling into her face.

"Kouta…"

"She hasn't told them yet," he said.

"She will…especially when she sees me here. With you."

Lucy opened her eyes and turned back towards Kouta, "what will you do when she does Kouta? When we're all together and she tells them what I've done?"

It had been a question she'd wanted to ask him for a very long time now. She had been terrified to ask. Had lived in fear of what the answer might be. That question had been the source of all the unease she'd ever felt since returning to him. Only now, could that question finally be given voice. Only now, would there finally be an answer.

"What will you do?" she said again, tears welling in her eyes once again, and sliding down her face, "when they forsake you for loving me?"

He stared at her silently, reaching up to wipe the tears from her face. She gently stopped his hand and turned away.

"I'm a killer," she said in a hollow whisper, "that's…what I am. A murderer who took your family away, who has done nothing but complicate your life and put you, and your family in danger. I'm a complete…fuck up…Kouta."

"You're more than just some killer Lucy. You've always been more than that. Especially to me."

"But I AM a killer," she said again, "I know you think I'm more than just that, and there are days when I believe you, but I am also this other thing. I can't get away from it, no matter how hard I try to escape."

She looked at him, no longer crying but still feeling utterly miserable, "I thought about killing her. For a moment…"

"Who…"

"Yuka."

He said nothing. She hadn't expected him to.

"I'm ashamed of myself for thinking it, but I did. I thought, maybe if I killed her…while Angel was holding her down…I could…say…that she…had done it. And then, all I'd have to do…was kill Angel. And everything would be alright."

Lucy reached up to Kouta's forearms, and gently pushed them back as she stepped away from him, ashamed to be near him and unable to meet his eyes anymore.

"Do you see Kouta? That's who I am. Deep down inside that's what I am. I envy you, not knowing what it's like to kill people. You see possibilities for dealing with other people that I don't. It's always just been easier for me to kill people to solve my problems with them. When I was a child, I didn't ask for help or a place to sleep. I killed people and took what I needed."

She looked up at Kouta, who stood there watching her. She couldn't quite read his face and he didn't approach her.

"I don't want to hear you say that it's alright," she said, "because it feels like you don't see me for who and what I really am. I'm trying my hardest to be a better person than I was when I first left you all those years ago. I'm trying because you mean so much to me and I would do anything for you. You silence the killer inside me. You soothe the anger in my heart and fill the emptiness in my soul. You complete me Kouta…"

She took a breath, and trembled slightly. She wanted him to hold her again but she couldn't make herself walk closer to him. She knew she'd fight him if he tried, but she wanted him to fight back. Make her yield to him. She wanted Kouta to take her, and not simply receive. She wanted him to fight for it so she would knew, beyond the shadow of all her doubts, that he wanted this.

That was why she was doing this now. Telling him these things.

"You're everything to me," she said, "but I am a killer. That is part of who I am. Yuka is going to tell them what I have done and you won't be able to pretend that part of me doesn't exist anymore. You'll have to tell them you're in love with a murderer. A murderer who destroyed people close to you. So…I'm asking you Kouta. What will you do when that happens? Tell me the truth. Please…"

He looked at her for a long moment, and the silence was excruciating. She wished he would say something. Anything. Curse her, spit on her, or say he loved her. Anything but this.

"Kouta…?"

"No Lucy, the things you've done are not alright. They're terrible. Horrifying."

Shame and self loathing crashed over her, and she wrapped her arms around herself in a defensive gesture.

"And I don't care."

Lucy's eyes snapped open, "what?"

She looked at him, eyes wide with shock and hope surging in her heart.

"Couldn't explain it then," he said, "and I really can't now. All I've been sure of is that I love you more than anything in this world. I feel like if I don't have you in my life, that living on this earth has all been for nothing. Can you understand that? I…feel like I was born to meet you. Like I was meant to know you. Like that was the reason I was put on this earth. To love you."

"Kouta…"

"I knew it, the first moment I met you all those years ago. Maybe I didn't understand it then, but I do now. Everything I am, pulls me to you. For Christ's sake, I watched you slaughter a bridge full of people and I only cared about that for as long as it took you to walk over towards me, and then, moments later, I almost took a bullet to protect you. I forgot those dead men were there. Or maybe I didn't care anymore. I don't know…maybe…there's something really wrong with me. Maybe Yuka's right…"

The feeling of hope slipped somewhat, until Kouta started moving towards her.

"But…even if she is…I don't care. You want me to admit out loud that you're a killer Lucy? Fine. You're a killer. A murderer. And I'm telling you that doesn't matter to me. It doesn't change anything. I don't care what you've done, or what you will do. Maybe that makes me a terrible person right along with you, but…God help me, I'm in love with a killer. I'm in love with you Lucy, because you're so much more than just a killer."

Lucy exhaled in a shuddering breath, reaching up to Kouta's chest when he got close, and gripping the shirt in loose fists as he put his hands on her waist.

"I can't let you go," Kouta said, "I told you this once before but I think you weren't listening to me when I said it. I said 'can't', as in 'unable', 'incapable'. I…CAN'T…let you go. I don't want to. I won't."

She reached her hands up to his neck, her thumbs pressing on his jaw line and fingers resting gently on his neck.

"What will I do?" Kouta said, "if they forsake you? I'll stand with you. If they forsake you, they can forsake me too. I can't live without you Lucy. I just…can't."

"Kouta…" no…she wouldn't tell him he was making a mistake. The time for such things was long over. She was done testing his love for her. Now was the time to believe in its strength.

"…are you sure?" she said instead.

"Yes Lucy, I'm sure. If the world and everyone in it wants to hate you, they can hate me too for being with you. I love you, and nothing now, or ever, is going to change that."

"'till death do us part'?" she said in a small voice, looking shyly up towards him. He paused, as the significance of her words dawned on him. A slow, warm smile spread across his face.

"Yes Lucy," he said quietly, "'till death do us part'."

She felt weak, like she couldn't stand up on her own power anymore. Kouta seemed to feel her weakening, and pulled her close to him. She rested her forehead against him, and slipped her hands around his back, moving up to grip his shoulders. She trembled slightly and let out a slow breath to steady her nerves.

"Lucy?"

"Kiss me," she breathed.

He tilted his head and she parted her lips. He moved closer to her, unhurriedly, and felt his lips first meet hers in a feather light touch. She pressed towards him the rest of the way, tightening her grip on his shoulders and kissing him hard. Loud, heavy breaths escaped her when they'd part for air, and she would only break for that when her need to breathe became painful. She felt a desperate hunger for him, something unleashed by this moment. They were alone, in a dark quiet place, and he had just told her…convinced her…that there was nothing else in this world that mattered to him but her. She felt liberated in a way she hadn't before.

She could feel him becoming more insistent, grabbing onto her hips tightly. She slid one of her legs between his, and he stepped into her. Her heartbeat quickened at feeling his leg against her. It was getting very hard to think straight.

She broke from the kiss, and leaned her head over his shoulder, towards the door. Noticing it was cracked slightly, she called one of her vectors and moved it towards the door, closing it. Lucy thought she'd shut it the first time, but it must have not been closed tightly enough. The sound of the door clicking shut filled the quiet room, as well as the sound of the lock snapping into place.

"Lucy?"

She shrugged her coat off and let it fall to the floor.

She didn't answer him, and instead, kissed him again. He seemed to forget about his question as he succumbed to the moment once more.

She broke away for a moment to look at his face. Desire was beginning to cloud his eyes and the sight of it made her smile. She pulled one of her arms back, and reached up to brush her fingertips across his face, letting the fingers trace down his jaw, towards his neck, then moved them down his chest.

"You're wearing that shirt I like," Lucy said, looking down at his chest.

She felt one of his hands running through her hair, then move down her face. His thumb brushed against the corner of her lips, and she turned her head to slide it into her mouth. She gently pressed down with her teeth, and let him pull it slowly out, dragging her teeth across his flesh as he did.

"Don't know why I put it on," he said, "just…wanted to for some reason."

"Thinking of me?" she said, teasingly, her fingers sliding down lower, towards his belly.

"I'm always thinking of you," he replied.

"What are you thinking now?" she breathed.

"You know what I'm thinking," he said, moving the hand at her waist, inside her shirt to caress her skin. The warmth of his hand on her skin felt wonderful.

"Pretend like I don't, and tell me anyway," she said, sliding her fingers inside his jeans once she reached them, flexing her fingers and grabbing the material. She saw his lips part and his breathing quicken when her knuckles brushed his erection.

"I'm thinking about taking you to that wall over there," he said, motioning with his eyes to the wall behind her.

"Yeah?" she breathed, stepping backwards slowly, and pulling him by where she had gripped his jeans, "what happens next?"

She felt her back press against the wall, and Lucy withdrew her hand from his jeans, placing her hands on his shoulders. He reached his arms around her bottom, lifting her upwards as she wrapped her legs around him. She leaned down and kissed him once, stopping to slowly lick his bottom lip before pulling back to stare at him.

"I'm thinking of when we walked out to the beach," he said, "where I saw you again after all those years."

She grinned, knowing what he was talking about, "I was wearing a dress then. You had me like this on that wall."

She reached down as he leaned into her, slowly unfastening his shirt buttons as he kissed her neck. It was a little difficult with him pressed so tightly against her, but she didn't want him to stop.

"I remember you were nervous," Lucy said, smiling at the memory, "even though it was twilight and no one was around. I thought you'd say no."

"You weren't wearing anything under the dress," he said breathlessly into her ear.

"I thought you might need some convincing."

"It worked."

He bit down on where her neck met her shoulder, and her head thumped against the wall when she tilted it back. She let out a quiet moan.

"I'm thinking about how you pushed my dress up," she breathed, "grabbed my hips and put me up there. I'm thinking about how hard I came and how good you felt inside me."

He groaned, obviously thinking about it too, reminded of it viscerally by the position he had her in now. She pushed at his chest to back him up slightly. Part of his chest was exposed from where she had been able to unbutton his shirt. Still held securely to the wall, she began unbuttoning the rest of it.

"I wish you were wearing that dress now," he said, "and not those jeans."

"I'll make it up to you."

Once she had gotten the last button open, she slid the shirt down his arms as far as it would go, exposing his chest. She then leaned forward, letting him hold her up, and pulled her shirt over her head and off. Quickly followed by her bra. These, she flung away somewhere in the room, then leaned back against the wall to watch him. Kouta breathed more heavily as his eyes traveled over her.

"I love it when you do that," she said.

"What?"

"Look at me like you've never seen me naked before. Like you're afraid to blink and miss a second of it."

"You're so incredibly beautiful," he said, "I can't help it."

Lucy smiled, her lips parting slightly as she watched him. She pressed her palms against his chest and moved them upwards to his shoulders. She pulled him to her, pressing his body against hers. Lucy grinned widely at him before pulling him into another long kiss full of desperate hunger. Her hands began to flex against his back, nails replacing fingertips as she felt his arms flex where he held her. For a while, she was sure that she didn't want this to end, but then realized she wanted more, and that this wasn't enough.

Lucy broke from him in a heavy exhalation of breath, then began to move him away at arms length.

"Lucy, you'll…"

"Shh," she said, calling her vectors to ease her back onto the ground. When he realized what she was doing, he stepped away and she set herself back onto the ground, her hands still on his shoulders. She then pushed his shirt the rest of the way down his arms.

"Don't move," she said, stepping towards him and with both hands, rubbed her palms against the hardness in his pants. He groaned with pleasure and his arms came up reflexively, as though to grab her.

"No," she said quietly, "just let me do this."

He put his arms down and let his eyes roam over her body as she gripped and stroked him though the pants. The act of doing it made her heart pound in her chest, and caused a rush of feeling to spread throughout her body, rushing downward to her legs, then back up again. It left her with a delicious ache.

"What are you thinking about now?" she said in a breathy whisper, using her vectors to slide her boots and socks off. The cool floor against her bare feet was a pleasant sensation.

"I'm having some trouble with 'thinking'…"

"Come on," she whispered, "tell me what you want."

"I want those jeans off of you."

"Yeah?" she breathed, stepping backwards playfully. He watched her as she turned her back to him and looked over her shoulder.

"Come here and take them off," she said.

She waited a few moments and heard the quiet sound of boots clattering on the floor. Kouta then came silently up behind her, sliding his hands across her hips and towards her belly. She reached up towards his head and gripped his hair gently in both hands. Looking down, she watched his hands as they traveled down her belly, ending at the rim of her jeans. Her eyes slid shut when she felt Kouta's lips on her neck and shoulder.

She bit her bottom lip, feeling him unbutton her jeans, then pull down the zipper. He then reached for her hips, hooking his thumbs inside the jeans, and under the straps of her panties, then started slowly sliding them down her legs. Free from her thighs, the material mostly fell the rest of the way down to the floor, allowing her to step out of them, and kick them aside.

Kouta's hands traveled back up her thighs. She expected him to reach between them, and felt mildly disappointed when he instead moved to her belly. She turned around in his arms and pulled one of his hands down with hers. She lifted a leg to hold it against his waist, and wrapped her other arm around his neck, moving Kouta's hand between her legs.

"Come on Kouta," she said in a teasing whisper, "you didn't take them off so you could touch me anywhere else…"

They laughed breathily, the humor quickly tapering off into lust as he began to work his hand between her legs. She threw the other arm around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, moving her hips as he stroked her.

"Don't you like that better?" she whispered.

"Yes," he replied.

"So do I."

She felt his other hand brushing her stomach as he began working at his own jeans, hearing the almost inaudible sound of the button coming free, followed by the sound of this zipper. Her breathing increased, and occasionally came in quiet moans as she began to move her hips against his hand. She withdrew an arm from Kouta's neck, reaching down, and exhaling heavily when she seized him, realizing he was now also naked. He throbbed in her hand and suddenly it was more than she could stand. His hand on her wasn't enough.

"Kouta…" she said pleadingly. It was all he had needed to hear.

He removed his hand from her, and picked her up, carrying her over towards one of the counters. She reached out to steady herself when he put her down, accidentally knocking over various bottles and other objects, some rolling and clattering to the floor.

"God I want you Lucy."

"I'm right here," she said, raising her arms to hold onto his neck, "I'm all yours."

Kouta's body shifted as he reached down. After a moment, she felt him against her, searching. She took a breath, holding it until he found her, and began pushing his way inside. She exhaled heavily as he pushed inside of her, his body flexing as he met resistance.

"Oh God," she breathed, as he slid almost completely out, now slightly wet with her. His second thrust went into her more easily than the first, but Kouta found himself needing to push hard to get the rest of the way inside her. She pulled at him with her legs, helping him until he was completely buried. His breath came out in a ragged groan.

"That's it Kouta," she whispered, "take me…"

It was not simply her body she was offering with those simple words. It was everything. Everything she was.

Kouta pulled back to rest his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes as he began to move inside of her. She wondered if the nails she was steadily digging into his skin were hurting him, but he didn't seem to mind. Then again, she felt so good at that moment that she probably could have been sitting on a pile of needles, and probably wouldn't have noticed until much later.

They made love for what could have been minutes or hours. Lucy had no sense of how time was moving, and didn't care. Her world was narrowed to the feel of him inside of her and the pleasure rolling through her body, threading down her legs. They made very little sound, except for the occasional moan, or cry that spilled from their lips. Her eyes slid closed as she began to feel her climax building up inside her.

"Kouta," she whispered, "I'm almost there…"

It was like the words flipped a switch in him, and he thrust into her with renewed vigor. Her fingers flexed on his back and her body tensed up as that feeling grew, bracing herself for it. It was like a fire growing quickly out of control and threatening to spread to every part of her body, down to her fingers and toes.

She let out a quick, shuddering cry and held her breath as she finally came, pleasure tearing violently through her, spreading out into her belly and chest. She fisted her hands in his hair and tightened her legs, jerking against him in quick spasms, caught in the grip of her release. She clenched her teeth and tried not to cry out, knowing if she did, everyone in the hall outside would hear. The pleasure was unrelenting, and seemed to go on forever. Lucy knew it if didn't wane soon, that she really would cry out. She almost didn't care.

As her own violent surge of pleasure began to finally taper off, she felt his body tense up as his intensified. He was close as well. It occurred to her suddenly that they might have considered protection, but the thought left as quickly as it came. Kouta wasn't going to leave her. At last, Lucy had the answer to the question she had most feared, and it made her feel secure with her presence in his life. If anything came of this…or any other time…that was alright with her.

"Lucy…" he started.

"I want you to," she whispered, pulling him tightly against her with arms and legs, so he couldn't back away. Not that he had been trying but she wanted to feel him come as much as she'd wanted to come herself.

When he finally did, it was with a series of ragged groans and harder thrusts. He tightened his arms around her, crushing her body against him while the climax rushed through him, and into her. Lucy moved her hips against him, wanting to contribute as much as she could to his sudden surge of ecstasy. She closed her eyes and finally relaxed while he let it course through him, and slowly wane into a warm glow.

The remained like that for a moment, a light sheen of sweat on their bodies, but not enough to be particularly uncomfortable. The silence was filled with the sound of them catching their breath, having not realized just how much energy they had expended. Only now could Lucy feel the minor aches of muscles she had overworked without realizing it. She cherished every ache and gulp of air she took; physical reminders of what she had just shared with Kouta only moments ago.

She let out a small laugh at imagining what they would look like to people passing by. Slightly breathless and with messy, tangled hair. There was just something about sex hair that could never be combed out. At least not until thirty minutes after. Until then, it was like everyone who looked in their direction could just tell. Lucy always had that feeling when they were out in public again after making love. Like everyone knew, but were just being polite. She laughed again, a little louder this time.

"What is it?" Kouta asked.

"Nothing," she said with a smile.

Kouta lifted his head to look at her and smiled warmly. It began to fade after a moment.

"Lucy…"

She reached up to his face, touching her thumb to his lips, silencing him, and shook her head. He swallowed whatever he was about to say, and just stared at her.

"Later," she whispered, "we'll talk about it later, but I have no regrets."

He nodded, and the warm smile returned to his lips. She smiled back and drew him close to her, kissing him once, deeply, then pulling his head down to her shoulder.

"I love you Kouta. I'm yours forever. You know that don't you? As long as you want me, I swear on my life I'll stay by your side."

"I love you too, Lucy," he said to her, breathing a sigh into her neck and trailing his fingertips down her back, "I swear to you that no matter what, I'm standing by you. I swear Lucy, you will never be alone. Not while I live."

"Then I expect you to live forever," she said with a smile, as tears slid down her face.

"I'll do my best."

She laughed happily, love burning in her heart for Kouta. She knew they should probably get dressed and leave soon, but…

"Kouta, I know we have to go see…everyone. But can we just stay in here a little longer? I want a little more time alone with you."

"Of course," he said.

There was a sink, and a few towels in the room, so they were able to quickly clean up and get dressed. The latter was somewhat difficult as neither of them could really remember where they had thrown their clothes and weren't willing to turn on the overhead light to find them. Once they were dressed, they climbed into the nearby bed. It wasn't really big enough for both of them, but Lucy was half draped over Kouta's body, so it didn't really matter much. Lucy closed her eyes and snuggled up against him, and he ran his fingers through her hair in a calming rhythm.

Time passed, and once again Lucy couldn't be sure how much. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered right now. They were together again, and the happiness it brought her was enough to wash everything else away. She believed in him, and that he would stand by her. She believed it more now than she had ever allowed herself to before. It made her feel safe, and gave her hope. As they lay together, she felt herself slipping into a light slumber, but shook herself out of it, knowing she couldn't fall asleep now.

Lucy wished they could just stay like this, and she could fall asleep with him. It had been days since they had last been able to sleep together, or spend any real time together that wasn't tainted with some kind of danger looming over their heads. Even now, as beautiful as this moment with him was, Lucy couldn't stop thinking about what was coming.

Angel was waiting to finish what they'd started at Maple Inn. Lucy shuddered as she remembered how the fire had danced off of her dark eyes. She remembered the hatred, and the fury. It burned more violently in her than the flames that had destroyed their home.

"Lucy?" Kouta said, sensing her anxiety.

"I'm afraid, Kouta."

"Of what?" he said.

"Her," she whispered, "I'm afraid she'll find you and I won't be able to protect you."

He sighed, "Lucy, please don't think like that."

"I feel so terrible," she said, "that I have to leave you behind again, but I have to Kouta. I have to stop her or else who will? She'll never stop until we're all dead."

"I know," he said, "but I know you'll win if it comes to that."

"When, Kouta. 'When" it comes to that."

"Right, 'when'," he sighed, "she may be strong Lucy, but you're stronger. In every way that counts. I don't think Angel is like you Lucy. She looks like someone shook her apart and she didn't quite get herself back together the right way."

That was about right.

"What could have happened to her?" he said, "what could have made her that way?"

"Kouta, I love you for your ability to forgive, but I am NOT interested in empathizing with that bitch."

"I never said anything about forgiving her. She tried to kill you. She hurt our family. The men who were watching over us also told me she tortured children, among other things. She's beyond my ability to forgive, but there are reasons for people to become the way they are. You had your reasons Lucy, what were hers?"

"I don't know," she said, "but I know someone who does."

Lucy abruptly pushed herself up, and swung her legs over the side of the bed, dropping down to her feet.

"What is it Lucy?" Kouta said, also coming to his feet.

"Come with me?" Lucy said, turning to him.

"Of course," he said, "but where?"

"A man named Erich Vanith. He brought her here. I want to talk to him."

Erich had been there when she had arrived to the hospital with Bando and the others. As much as she had wanted to hear what he had to say about Angel, it became vastly unimportant to her in the face of her desire to see Kouta once more. Now that she was back with Kouta, she was ready to hear Erich out.

"I know about him," Kouta replied, "Daisuke told us who he was yesterday."

Kouta walked over towards her, as Lucy threw her coat back on. When he reached her, he slipped an arm under her coat and around her waist. They moved towards the door, where Lucy hesitated slightly. How would the people outside react to Kouta, seeing him with her like this? What if they ran across Yuka…

"Kouta…"

"I'll stay by your side, no matter what. Just trust me Lucy. I won't forsake you. Not ever."

She smiled warmly at him and nodded her head.

"Okay Kouta," she said, "I'm ready."

Kouta unlatched the door lock, then opened the door. Light flooded back into the room and Lucy's eyes strained with the sudden harshness of the glare outside. Kouta gently urged her forward, and she began to walk with him, stepping into the hallway, and back into the real world. A world full of equipment beeping, voices talking or arguing, and radios hissing in the distance.

There was a window right across the hall, which displayed the sky outside. It was ominously red. Clouds covered the sky like a suffocating blanket of winter and the setting sun spread out the color in the clouds like blood. A cold chill ran down her spine. The people didn't know it yet, but that was humanity's end up in those clouds. Unless they stopped it here.

"My God…" Kouta said.

"We're going to stop this Kouta," she said reassuringly, "this is going to end tonight."

_One way, or another…._

They looked at one another, and Lucy slid an arm around his shoulders, gripping him tightly. She was trying not to show it, but the sight terrified her as well. Being near Kouta made her feel safer.

"Let's go find Vanith," Lucy said.

Kouta nodded, and they walked away together. Both gripping the other tightly. Some people stared with curiosity, and others with disdain. Lucy supposed it was always going to be that way, but none of it mattered. Kouta was hers, and that was all that would ever be important to her.

Or him.


	42. The Darkness of a Broken Heart

**Author's Note: As my profile update has also stated, it has been an unforgivably long time since my last update. I'm beyond thrilled that things with me have settled down enough to start writing again. I'm very grateful for those of you still following this that didn't forget about me and this project. Those little reminders were a significant reason that I've returned to this. Thank you for the reviews and PMs in my absence. They did not go unnoticed or unread. Well, without further ado, here is chapter 42, at long last. I hope you enjoy it, and it's great to be back!**

* * *

><p>The cold swept around her. Through her. She didn't feel it, even though she shivered at its bite. Yuka was numb from other kinds of pain. Pain that went so deep, everything else was as minor irritations.<p>

The quiet was alien to her, as she stood alone at the rear of the hospital. In most cities she had ever visited in her life, which admittedly weren't many, there was at least always a constant din of cars and the distant whisper of people talking, or yelling. It was a sound one grew familiar with, like the sound of an air conditioner running, or the hum of a car engine from the inside when one was driving. Now, there was a complete absence of sound, as the people were either locked securely in their homes, or congregated in places like this, or the field "hospitals" she had already been hearing about that were set up in various parts of the city. The quiet was chilling. It was the quiet of 3 A.M, when nothing stirred and all were asleep. Now, the silence was a testament to the collective terror of an entire city. There was nothing but the wind.

Even this, however, failed to touch her.

All she could think about, was….them…together.

"_I love you, and nothing now, or ever, is going to change that."_

She had wanted to visit Kouta earlier, having had her revelation that his mind was still somewhat damaged. She had wanted to go back and apologize for not understanding where he was coming from. It would have been a lie, of course, but she had already justified the coming deception as simply doing what must be done to save him from that monster. The monster who had killed her uncle and Kanae. The monster who Kouta was still protecting. Instead, she watched as Lucy had quietly entered his room and closed the door. She had not known exactly what she wanted to do in that moment. Part of her wanted to run to the door and throw it open. She had wanted to charge in and attack that woman, regardless to the risk of herself. She somehow knew that Lucy would fight back, and then Kouta would have seen. He would have seen Lucy try to kill her, and that would have brought him to his senses….wouldn't it have? Perhaps it was wishful thinking. How strange that her own death would be such an integral part of what she was fantasizing about. What was happening to her?

At the very least, she had wanted to scream at the woman. Confront her with her crimes, make Lucy answer for them. But as she'd cracked the door open, hatred in her heart, she had paused. Watching Lucy standing there, Yuka couldn't bring herself to interrupt the scene, for a reason she couldn't quite explain to herself. Lucy was wrapped in a cloak of sadness and longing, and hope. Things that Yuka understood far too well. Well enough that she waited. She wanted to see what Lucy would do.

So she had cracked the door, and watched. Watched as she poured her heart out so nakedly that Yuka felt for Lucy, despite herself. And hated her all the more for it.

"_I thought about killing her. For a moment…"_

"_Who…?"_

"_Yuka."_

Of course she did, that wretched bitch. That was more like her.

Another gust of wind sliced through Yuka, interrupting her thoughts. Her vision changed from that of the softly lit hospital room, to that of the still life scene before her. Military vehicles were gathered around like a wall, parked somewhat haphazardly. Most were supply vehicles and she supposed many of them weren't expected to move, which accounted for the lousy parking. Though it seemed similar to how she would see police park their own vehicles around the city. Like wherever they were going, the need to be on site was so urgent that things like ordered parking fell by the wayside. The thing Yuka found particularly strange, was the notable lack of security here. It had been why she had chosen this place to gather her thoughts in the first place, but the longer she lingered, the more she wondered why this area of the hospital should be so unguarded. The doors leading to this place were certainly covered by Institute special forces, but out here? Nothing. Perhaps there was nothing in the vehicles worth defending, or perhaps everything in them that was important had already been offloaded into the hospital. Or maybe they just imagined the city was so secure that they didn't have to worry about looters. Certainly none that would have the guts to approach a building with such an obviously heavy military presence.

It seemed strange, to see Kamakura this way. Silent. Locked down and besieged. It was like it had all happened overnight. Yuka had not quite believed Mayu at first when she warned of the coming military occupation. Wouldn't there have been some sign? Some hint that it was happening before they swept into the city? But there hadn't been. At least not one that Yuka had seen. When she and Kouta had arrived at the hospital it was,j like the soldiers were everywhere. She'd felt stupid. Like there had been a secret the whole world had already known, but had kept from her specifically. Things in her life seemed to always be that way. Especially when it came to Kouta….and Lucy.

She grit her teeth and closed her eyes as the dimly lit room came back into focus in her mind. She hated thinking about how they talked about those murders, and how Kouta just seemed not to care at all.

"_maybe…there's something really wrong with me. Maybe Yuka's right…but even if she is….I don't care."_

How couldn't he care? How many years of his life did he lose because of that horrible creature? That terrible monster who dared shed tears, and sound so vulnerable? Damn her! DAMN HER!

And then….then…she….they had….

She almost couldn't bear it. The door had suddenly clicked shut after they had shared that first kiss. A storm of emotion had roared through her at that moment, making her feel almost desperate in their intensity. She'd felt a sick need to watch what was happening, and at the same time, felt just as sick at the prospect that it was happening at all. She knew they were in that room making…no…she wouldn't say "making love". That seemed to pervert the act in her mind. That creature….was…FUCKING him. That's all.

She'd remained until she heard the first moan of pleasure, muffled from the door. She hadn't really been sure who it came from, over the sound of activity in the hospital, and the closed door, but it didn't matter. She hadn't been able to take it anymore. She'd fled and just…..walked? Ran? She hadn't really been sure. Nor had she been sure where she had been going. Now, she found herself here. Her insides knotted with anxiety and jealousy, and unquenchable rage. For a single insane moment after she'd found herself out here, she had been disappointed that Angel had not killed Lucy. In that moment, she felt as though she would have gladly helped Angel sneak into the facility to finish what Yuka knew she'd started at Maple Inn.

Then, of course, she remembered that their home was destroyed. How much of that was due to Angel's actions? Could Lucy alone have started the fire that destroyed the only home they'd known? It could have been either one, but it was easier for Yuka to imagine that it had been solely Lucy's doing. Yuka hated Lucy with every fiber of her being. What she wouldn't give for a chance to…

…to what? …Kill her? Again, Yuka wondered if she could really be capable of such a terrible act as to take a life, but she knew that if there was any person in the world that she could possibly bring herself to kill, it would be Lucy. She'd deserved it for all the pain she had brought her family….

…for….taking Kouta…from her….

For being with him in the way Yuka had always wanted to. In the way she'd…tried….to be with him. Angel had been right when she'd chastised Yuka for not seizing her moment when she'd had the chance. Yuka should have kept them there when the rain had stopped. Should have taken him, right there in the shrine. Could things have been different if she'd only tried a little harder? Gone a little further?

Thunder sounded overhead. There was a flash in the dark red sky but it was the sound that triggered her memory. Of the storm and the rain. She could smell it in the air now. There would be a storm tonight. It reminded her of that moment spent with Kouta in the shrine. A single moment when, for at least a little while, she'd had everything she ever wanted. His lips on her, his body pressed against hers, and the promise that he would belong to her.

But that was just a dream. One that Yuka had woken from to find Kouta in love with his family's murderer. The revelation felt much like her life now was like a dream. More like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.

There had to be a way to fix this.

Her thoughts were quite suddenly interrupted by a sound from behind her. A door abruptly opening. Yuka turned around to see a soldier coming through the door, though something was strange about him. He was looking behind him, as though he had been concerned about anyone watching him come through the door. He froze as he turned around and noticed Yuka standing there, watching him with a puzzled look upon her face.

Almost as if on instinct, she saw him rest a hand on a pistol he wore at his hip, and Yuka's heart stopped. She suddenly couldn't think or speak. Something was very wrong here, filling Yuka with the cold realization that no one knew she was out here alone.

No one but this man. With his hand on his gun.

* * *

><p>Lucy walked leisurely down the hallway with Kouta, having lost much of her initial feelings of urgency. Now that she was with Kouta again, she was unwilling to spoil her happiness at being with him, with the conversation she intended to have with Erich Vanith. Lucy knew the worst was yet to come, but she didn't have to rush headlong towards it.<p>

Lucy leaned against Kouta as she walked, gripping his arm with one hand, and wound her fingers through his own with the other. She felt him give her hand a reassuring squeeze, as though he could sense her anxiety. He probably could. They never really needed words to communicate their feelings to one another. She could read him and he could read her. He was her island of tranquility in an ocean of turmoil. She felt like nothing could touch her as long as he was by her side.

Being with him, she hardly noticed the stares people gave them. Some from soldiers who knew what she was, and others from civilians who found her horns, and hair, unfamiliar and strange. There was uneasiness in their curiosity. Flutters of fear that seemed to weave and dance among the people wherever they went, like a sickness that touched everyone they saw. All but Lucy. Nothing could touch her right now. Not while Kouta was with her. No fear, no dread, no sadness. Only her island of tranquility. Her shelter from the storm.

She squeezed his hand in return.

"Kouta," she said quietly, "tell me everything's going to be alright."

"Lucy?"

"Please? I need to hear you say it. I'll believe it if you tell me."

Lucy sighed and looked up at him, "Everything around us feels like it's coming apart. I feel like we're watching a terrible storm moving slowly towards us, about to break over everything. Can't you feel it? I'm afraid for us, our family, our life together."

She looked away from him, facing straight ahead once more, "I'm afraid of what happens if we lose…"

…_if I lose…_

That was it, wasn't it? She was afraid. Terrified of losing Kouta to that sadistic animal.

_What if I can't win? What if I can't stop her?_

She dared not voice that fear. Lest it grow into a paralyzing horror. She hadn't realized just how badly she'd been shaken by her fight with Angel. It wasn't so much that she had lost a fight. Lucy was not so much a fool that she truly believed herself invincible. Mariko had defeated her after all, and Lucy had not felt gut wrenching terror in the aftermath of that. Lucy would have gladly fought with her a second time, unafraid.

But the playful cruelty, and bitter rage of Mariko was a pale shadow of the depthless hatred and feverish cruelty of Angel. Lucy had felt it in every blow she'd received. Each one intended to be a deathblow. Every second of that terrible struggle had felt like moments she'd stolen from Angel. The violence of it had been frightening to experience. It made Lucy doubt herself. It made her question whether her courage would stand or falter when they met once more.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy could see Kouta shaking his head in a dismissive gesture.

"I'm not afraid of that," he said.

"But Kouta…I don't…"

"I know your whole life has been one impossible struggle after the next," he said, "and you're still here. That's not by accident."

Kouta looked towards Lucy, and gave her a reassuring smile, "you're a rock Lucy, and nothing's been able to break you. Where you don't win, you endure."

"It's because of you that I can do it Kouta. You give me strength."

Kouta shook his head, "you give me too much credit. You found your own strength."

"Well then you're my reason to use it."

"And look how far you've come because of it," he said, "in every way that counts, you're the strongest person I know."

Kouta slowed to a stop, turning Lucy to face him. He reached up and pressed his palm into her cheek. The warmth of the touch felt wonderful to her in the chilly hallway. She reached up and held his hand against her face, kissing his palm as it brushed her lips.

"Lucy, it's going to be alright. I'm not just saying that because you asked me to. I'm saying it because I believe it. Because I know you. You're not weak and you're not a coward. I believe in you, and besides, we're not exactly standing alone here. I know things will get really bad before this is all over, but we will get through this. Together."

"And if the others…"

"Then like I said, I will stand by you. Alone. If that's the way it has to be," he said, reading her thoughts, knowing she still feared how the rest of their family would react to the truth of her crimes. It was going to take some time for her to truly accept that he would not forsake her. It was somewhat difficult to suppress the instinct to tell him not to make such a decision on her behalf, but she knew that was just lingering guilt. She didn't really want to fight him anymore on that issue anyway. He made her happy, and she was finding herself increasingly unwilling to talk herself out of being with him.

"I love you Lucy," he said, "I'm with you no matter what."

His words made her feel both weak and strong at the same time. This, Lucy realized, was why Angel would not win their next battle. Lucy had something to fight for, a reason to live. Angel, was empty. Full of hate and little else. That shell of a woman might be skilled but she would never have what Lucy had: purpose.

"I love you too Kouta," she said, a smile growing on her face, "and thank you for saying it. That things will be alright. I needed to hear you say it. I believe you."

She pulled on the pocket of his jeans to inch him closer, and kissed him, her lips brushing his in a feather light touch. After a few moments, when they last parted, he offered his arm to her which she held once again in the way she had before, and they resumed walking. Lucy could smell food, and guessed they were heading towards the cafeteria, which she knew sat next to a large waiting room. The smell made Lucy's stomach growl as she realized she had not eaten in quite some time.

As they walked, Lucy shifted her gaze to a few of the soldiers standing guard. Some were simply observing silently, while others were engaged in conversations either over their radios, or with civilians relaying instructions to some, or simply trying to reassure others. It struck Lucy, as she watched them, how similar the soldiers were to the civilians they spoke with. Although the Institute soldiers had a better idea of what was going on, Lucy knew that the knowledge probably wasn't much more reassuring. They, like the civilians they spoke to, did not know how this was all going to end, and were equally as unsure if they would all get through this alive. They were as swept up in the uncertainty of things as everyone else. They too, were afraid. For themselves, and certainly for their families.

Lucy once again felt a twinge of guilt at having once viewed these men as faceless, nameless entities. There for her to tear apart if they got in her way. Enemies or no, Lucy knew how dangerous it could be to forget her opponents' humanity. If she forgot theirs, she would then forget her own. Life had no value to a killer and not even the killer's own life had value. Lucy knew the truth of this better than most. She'd walked that awful road, and never wanted to go back.

Kouta understood well the value of life, and how terrible the cost when that life was lost. He, more than most, understood that death happened less to the dead, and more to the living. He knew how far that pain could spread. Knew how deep, and how long, it could linger. The value of life was one of the most important things she had learned from him. How she wished she could have learned it before she had hurt him so terribly. Him, and so many others…

Kouta had helped her to see how precious life was, and had forgiven her most terrible acts so that she might have a second chance to experience everything life had to offer, though she was not deserving of it. No matter what he said, deep down inside she would always carry that guilt. That responsibility.

This, however, was her second chance. A chance to absolve herself of her past sins by helping to put an end to this nightmare. To bring Angel down. Perhaps this too, was fate. The same fate that brought her and Kouta together. Woven threads, bringing them all to this moment, this time. She needed to stop Angel, as much for herself as for the others. Deep down, Lucy knew that her coming struggle with Angel was more than just protecting the people she loved. This was about redemption.

As that thought entered her mind she considered that perhaps Angel, like Lucy herself, had a deep seated reason for wanting Lucy to see things her way. To renounce what Angel considered a shallow life. What was Angel's stake in all of this? Why did Angel need to tear away at the ties that bound Lucy to her life? Why was this so important to Angel? What would she personally gain from her victory?

Erich knew. Or at least could help Lucy find the answer. Lucy wanted to speak with him, despite her reluctance. She wanted to know why he felt he could help her stop Angel, and how he might possibly accomplish that.

However, if she could be honest with herself, she was much more curious to know who she was. Where she had come from. Angel had casually avoided those questions. People didn't do that unless they had something to hide, or were themselves hiding from something. Lucy had a strong feeling that in Angel's case, it was the latter. Perhaps Erich had the answers. She felt an overpowering need to understand Angel. To draw back the curtain on who she really was.

"There," Kouta said, snapping Lucy out of her thoughts.

"That's Erich Vanith," he said, pointing him out in the midst of a crowd.

Kouta and Lucy had entered the waiting room where a small crowd of people milled about. Despite the number of people gathered, it was eerily silent in the room, as though a collective breath were being held. It made Lucy feel uneasy. The expression on Erich's face from across the room did not help things. He looked like an emotional wreck, even from so far away, despite how immaculate and well put together he appeared. He was dressed in a long, expensive looking dark gray overcoat that hugged his figure, over a pair of black dress trousers and a white collared shirt. Lucy could see blood flecks that had dried on the collar.

His hands trembled and his face was fixed in a state of both guilt, and horror. It was then that Lucy realized what he, and in fact the entire crowd, were staring at, and realized why all their voices were hushed. Every gaze was locked onto a large television in the room.

"Oh god…" she heard Kouta whisper as she saw him put a hand over his mouth out of the corner of her eye.

The screen displayed a news room, with the word "live" on the bottom of the screen in large letters, but no one was talking. The only sound that could be heard in the room, was the sound of terrified whimpering and fearful, shuddering breaths from the man on the television screen.

The man was on his knees with a figure standing behind him whose face was just out of view of the camera. A fistful of his hair was cruelly seized by the unknown figure, while the other hand held a combat knife to his throat, leaving several small cuts when his trembling caused the blade to nick his flesh. Only now did Lucy notice the splattered blood on the anchor's desk behind them, and on the wall, off to the side.

Cold dread settled in Lucy's stomach as she took in the details of the assailant's clothing. It was clearly a woman. Wearing a ripped and tattered black dress. Red hair tumbled down over her chest and arms.

Her forearms were caked in both dried, and fresh blood.

* * *

><p>Yuka held her breath as the man simply stared at her, trying to come to some decision about her. What that decision was, she couldn't guess, except to assume that whatever it was, it would decide for him whether he shot her out here, or not.<p>

"I…I'm…m…so…sorry," Yuka stammered, trembling with fear and feeling like her legs were not going to support her much longer, "a…am I n…n..not supposed to b..be here?"

The sound of her voice seemed to bring him around somewhat, as though he had not really been seeing her earlier. He sighed in what could have been relief, and began to inch his hand away from his weapon. Yuka breathed a much heavier sigh of relief as he did so.

"This is a restricted area," he said carefully, "so no."

He sighed again in exasperation, "you startled me," he said, "and this is not a good day to startle armed soldiers."

"I'm really sorry," Yuka said, feeling somewhat more collected, although something still felt off. Not quite right.

"I didn't know I wasn't supposed to be out here," she continued, "I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going. Nobody stopped me so I didn't think anything of it."

Come to think of it, why HADN'T there been anyone guarding this place if it was off limits? And why was he so startled to find someone out here? Would he have reached for that gun if there had been another soldier here instead of her? His reaction had been immediate and panicked. As though he'd expected no one to be out here.

He could have shot her, and no one would have known. The thought sent a chill down her spine.

"The guards were probably changing shifts. You just happened to have some unlucky timing."

He was lying. She knew that immediately and instinctively, but she was not about to challenge a man with a gun, who had seemed quite prepared to put a bullet in her a moment ago.

"I guess I did," Yuka said in a small voice, "I'm not in any trouble am I?"

He smirked, "no, just go back inside and stay with your group. Don't go wandering off. The next guy might not be so lenient. We're supposed to detain anyone caught in restricted areas."

"Alright," Yuka said, eager to leave, "I'll go back in now…"

"Not so fast," he said, stepping towards her, "turn around and put your hands on the wall."

Fear fluttered in her chest, "what?"

"If I have to ask you again, you'll be in zip ties and on your way to an interrogation room for some hard questions as to why a civilian is lurking around military vehicles and equipment. Now put your hands on the goddamn wall."

Fear came flooding back into her chest, like when he had his hand on the gun. Trembling slightly, she complied.

"Please don't hurt me," she said quickly, her voice quivering. The words had just leapt from her mouth without conscious thought. It was the only thing she could think to say.

"Just relax," he said from behind her, his voice dropping to a croon which Yuka supposed was meant to be disarming or reassuring. It did neither of those things, although it did make her feel mildly sick to her stomach.

"I have to search you before I let you go back inside," he said, "you WERE hanging around in a restricted area after all. Without supervision, around military equipment. You didn't think I was just going to take it on good faith you weren't out here stealing, did you?"

"Of…of course not…" she said, trying to steady her nerves. Of course he had to search her. It made sense. He was just doing his job and he was right, she was wandering in a place she wasn't supposed to be. He was just doing his job, and besides, at least he was cutting her a break and not having her arrested and sent to god knows where. She was lucky, all things considered.

She yelped when she felt something cold, and metal tap against the inside of one of her calf muscles. She looked down and saw that he was tapping her leg with a collapsible baton.

"Legs apart," he ordered.

She complied wordlessly, and without thought. There was no reason to be frightened. He was a soldier, preforming a routine search.

She felt him step behind her, close. Too close? She'd never been in trouble like this before and hadn't been subjected to a search by law enforcement so she didn't really know what was proper with things like this. Something in the back of her mind told her that this was wrong, but she ignored it. What could she do about it if it was? At least he wasn't going to arrest her; separate her from everyone. She couldn't bear the thought of that.

"Do you have any idea how lucky you are?" he said in that same slimy croon, "anyone else would have turned you over to Command by now. I could still have you detained."

"Please don't," she whispered, her fingers flexing painfully against the wall.

"You know what happens when we have to do that?" he said, "we declare you a security risk and any actions taken against you become classified to all but high command. You know what that means?"

She felt his hands then, on her waist. He began to pat her down but his hands would always linger a moment too long, or his fingers would occasionally flex, and other times it felt more like he was simply caressing her. Those instances always ended quickly enough that Yuka could convince herself that there was nothing unusual about the method he was using to search her.

"It means," he continued, "that when your friends and family ask us what happened to you, we are under orders to not only deny them that information, but to deny we know anything about any detainment. We make you disappear."

She parted her legs wider. Why did she just do that? Some strange instinct in her, telling her that this was what she had to do to stay free. Dread was emptying her mind of all conscious thought.

"Please," she said in a choked whisper, "you don't have to arrest me."

"As long as you cooperate, that won't be necessary."

Cooperate. That's all. She almost could have laughed in relief at being given a way to control her own fate.

"I will. I'll do whatever you want," she heard herself say. It was another automatic response she hadn't consciously thought about. Hearing her own words out loud, however, removed the illusion for her that this was a routine search. She knew what was happening now, but was too afraid to do anything about it. Anything except for the one thing he had asked of her: cooperation. She could do that. As long as she could go back to her family, she could endure what was about to happen.

"That's my girl," he said in that croon as she felt his hands reach inside her dress and grip her waist. She wanted to throw up, and swallowed roughly to keep that from happening. At least he wasn't going to hurt her. Not much really. He wasn't going to arrest her, and at this point, not being arrested was all that mattered. This was her own fault anyway. Why hadn't she paid more attention to where she was going? Or at least left once she had the inkling that this place was off limits to civilians.

"Keep quiet," he ordered, "don't make a fucking sound."

"I won't," she said, operating on pure survival mode at this point, "I'll do anything you want."

She suddenly felt him slide his hand beneath her panties, and seize her. She let out a shuddering breath, hoping he'd take that as pleasure and not fear.

"You like that?" he said.

"Yes," she lied.

He chuckled arrogantly and Yuka felt tears beginning to sting her eyes. Through the fear, however, she felt something else building inside her. Something about his smug voice and laugh that cut through the shame and made her angry.

No, that word wasn't good enough. Furious. Almost but not quite…

She felt him press against her, and heard his breathing at her ear.

"You want to get fucked?" he said, "say you want me to fuck you."

"I want you to f…fuck me…" she said, almost unable to choke out the vile, unfamiliar words.

Hate. That was the word for what she felt. She hated him. She knew it was hate because it was so much like the way she felt about Lucy. A fury so dark and deep she felt like her small frame could hardly contain it. She could barely keep it out of her voice and found herself having to struggle against the urge to scream. Not for help, but to vent that hatred towards him. Knowing she was powerless just added another, more poisonous depth to that hatred. For a single, insane moment, Yuka wished Lucy would have walked through that door to see what was happening, and rip him apart for it. Yuka chose not to think too much about why she still automatically believed Lucy would do that for her.

She was trembling now, but not from fear. Rage was threading through her like a virulent poison snaking its way through her veins. How DARE he! That pig…

"Yeah," he breathed as she heard him working at his pants, "I like that…say it again."

She grit her teeth and fantasized about smashing his teeth in.

"I want you…to fuck me…" she said vehemently, through clenched teeth. Her nails scratched at the wall as she clenched her hands into fists.

_I want you, to die._

A distant part of her felt shock at the sentiment, which had come so abruptly to her, and was so alien that it momentarily stunned her. Five minutes ago, she would have settled for him stopping. Now, she wished he would simply drop dead where he stood. She felt him kick her legs further apart, interrupting her train of thought and roughly bringing her attention back to what he was doing. Shame and humiliation flooded through her, making her anger worse. She couldn't believe this was happening…

…and it wouldn't be happening, if it hadn't been for…HER!

As she felt him push her dress up and pull her panties aside, she thought of how much she utterly loathed Lucy. Because no, it was not Yuka's fault that this was happening. Lucy coming back into their lives when she had no right to, and being with Kouta, for whom Yuka had EVERY right to be with, were the reasons Yuka had fled. She was the reason she hadn't paid attention to where she was going, and why she was out here. Lucy was the reason she was about to be raped by some Institute pig. All Lucy did, was bring pain. The unfairness of it made her so angry. This should be Lucy out here, with her hands on the wall and her legs spread. Not Yuka.

Angry tears streamed down her face as she felt him preparing to have her. She held her breath, closed her eyes, and prepared for his vile, invasive act.

* * *

><p>Lucy stared transfixed, along with Kouta, Erich, and everyone else in the room. It was as though no single person was aware that anyone else shared the same room with them.<p>

They had been watching the screen in silence for around ten or fifteen minutes. No one had uttered a word in all that time. Lucy knew, just as she was sure everyone around her knew, that this was just a ghastly play, with the actors in place, waiting for the audience to arrive. The first word could come at any moment, and no one wanted to miss it.

The wretched soul on the television screen looked sick and terrified. Lucy knew he would have reason to be. Wherever that broadcast was coming from, it was very likely that everyone was already dead, and even more likely that this poor soul had been made to watch the slaughter, helplessly. The man, who Lucy assumed was probably the anchorman, looked young in the way that impeccable grooming seemed to shed decades off of a person's age. The hair, which was now mussed, and gathered cruelly in one of Angel's clenched fists, was short, and looked to have been held in place with gel at one point. His clothes had been ripped, or cut from him, leaving tatters hanging off of his bare chest where the remnants could find purchase on his shoulders. He was wearing a pair of expensive looking black trousers, but despite their color, Lucy could see that he had wet himself. Lucy felt sick for even watching this. That monstrous woman had gone to great lengths to degrade, and humiliate her victim. Lucy noticed a gold band on the finger of one of his trembling hands and she felt tears sting her eyes. She hoped to all that was good in the world that his wife, wherever she may be, wasn't watching this.

Lucy glanced over towards where Erich was standing. His face was now schooled to be expressionless and his gaze never wavered. Those around him frequently turned away from time to time, but his eyes never left the TV screen. Not for a second. Not for anything. Lucy understood. He was forcing himself to watch. It was clear to her that Erich felt personally responsible for what was happening, and was not allowing himself the luxury of looking away. She wondered if he'd noticed the wedding band too. Or perhaps he was more focused on how eerily similar his own immaculate appearance was, to Angel's trembling victim. Perhaps it had been deliberate. Sending a message to her former master.

Suddenly, and without warning, Angel violently jerked the man's head. He cried out in terrified surprise, as did several people in the room. Lucy herself had even sucked in a breath at the suddenness of it. After a few moments of vehemently ordering her brain to start working, she realized that the head jerk was simply a signal; her way of getting his attention, and in turn, everyone else's. It appeared the show was about to start. She clutched Kouta's hand, and he squeezed hers in return.

The man, still trembling, reached down between his knees, and the sound of rusting paper could be heard. Angel wouldn't give him any slack to move around much and when she thought he was moving too far away, she would press the tip of the knife against his neck, causing him to sob with fear and quickly shuffle back against her legs. She felt a tear slide down her cheek. Lucy didn't wipe it away, what would be the point? She knew there would be more soon.

She wished she could see Angel's face. This seemed so much more ghastly somehow for being unable to see it. Her head and top of her arms were obscured due to the way the camera was positioned. Strands of Angel's hair hung down over her upper arms and chest, like blood red snakes, crawling down her body. Lucy remembered what Angel had looked like when she'd come to Maple Inn. She had been beautiful, otherworldly. Deep, dark eyes and hair like falling rain. She had appeared graceful, although it was a predator's grace. But now, although Angel's face was hidden from view, what Lucy could see was enough to know that all her grace, had decayed into a stark vision of violence.

"My god," came a whisper at Lucy's side. She turned towards the sound and saw Takashi standing there, his lips parted slightly. Some distance behind him and everyone else, stood Ryota, taking in the terrible scene.

"Find out where that's happening," Ryota said in a hushed tone to a nearby soldier, who then saluted, and quickly exited the room.

Following the path of the departing soldier, Lucy noticed Nana had also joined the crowd. She stood near the back with Daisuke, who was still in a hospital gown, though evidently he had been allowed to wear his combat boots and the dark pants that were part of his tactical dress. He was on a mobile hospital drip, but he looked remarkable considering the injuries he'd sustained not long ago. There was something not quite right about his arms though.

She'd intended to get their attention, but a sound from the TV made her turn back around. The man appeared to have gotten the papers at his knees all collected and put together. His eyes darted constantly from the papers, to the camera. His lips worked as if he was trying to speak, but was having difficulty remembering how. When he finally found his voice, it came quietly and fearful. He began to speak, reading from the papers in his hand.

"H..h…he…hel..l.o...Kama…k..k"

He let out a wail, quickly mimicked by several people in the room, when Angel pressed the tip of the knife into his throat. A line of blood snaked down his neck and began to crawl slowly down his bare chest. He tried to lean away from the blade but was being held too tightly to move.

"Speak. Clearly," came Angel's cold, raspy voice. It was an ugly sound, like sandpaper on rusted metal. The sound was distant, and Lucy noted that the man still wore his microphone clipped to him.

A few moments passed where he tried mightily to compose himself. Soon enough though, his trembling died down enough to speak. He cleared his throat, took a long steadying breath, and began to read in a trembling voice.

"Hello, Kamakura," he began, reading from the papers in his hand, "I apologize for…the wait…but I wanted to be sure…the right people…were watching this…"

He looked towards the camera lens, having been instructed to do by Angel who pointed the knife in the direction of the lens, "Erich? Are you watching? I hope…that…you are, but I know…I don't…need…to hope. You've always…been watching…me, and you…like to…watch. Don't…look away...Erich…don't…close…your eyes."

Instinctively, Lucy looked over in time to catch Erich mouthing what looked like the words "I won't."

After a quick shuffling of paper, the man continued, "and…you Lucy? More than anything…I want you…to watch this. I want you to see why you…can never co-exist…with them. It's not…because you're a monster Lucy. It's because you, and me…we're killers. Though I…s…suppose it gets hard to tell…the…difference from the victim's perspective."

He slapped the papers on the ground and stared up at her pleadingly. He seemed to have reached a breaking point in his terror and couldn't contain his coming outburst.

"Please don't do this!" he begged, "please! Don't make my family watch this! Don't make my daught…"

In a sudden, awful movement, Angel violently yanked his head to the side, positioned her knife behind his ear, and sliced it cleanly off in a fluid motion. He screamed in pain and terror, taking quick deep breaths before each new terrified cry. The people around Lucy began screaming, and a few fled the room. Lucy covered her hand with her mouth and let out a shuddering breath. She felt her knees buckle and felt Kouta's arms around her. Self-loathing burned in her, and she began to cry.

"Lucy…it's not your fault! This isn't your fault!"

"Yes it is!" she wailed, "yes it is, yes it is, yes it is…"

"STOP IT LUCY!" He said, shaking her.

The man's screams renewed as his limbs were restrained by an invisible force. Lucy, and the others in the room, watched helplessly as Angel cut a slice from his cheek. Blood trickled freely down the side of his face, and he wailed in terror as he begged her to stop.

"I'm sorry!" Lucy cried, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Kouta gathered her up and began to lead her out of the room. She caught a glimpse of Erich however. All around him people were covering their eyes, turning away, or crying. Erich never blinked, never turned away. He kept watching stoically, facing his guilt head on. Seeing this, Lucy grabbed fistfuls of Kouta's shirt, and shoved him roughly away. She then walked purposefully towards Erich, and stood near him, returning her gaze to the screen, wiping tears from her face.

"Lucy," she heard Kouta calling from behind, "you don't have to do this…"

"Yes I do!" Lucy said vehemently, "yes I goddamn do! I owe this man at least that! Can you understand?" she said without looking at him.

Kouta did not reply, but instead took his place once again at her side. As he did, Lucy took a steadying breath and tried to calm down. Her heart still raced however, and tears still crawled down her face.

The man on the screen wasn't talking yet. He sobbed uncontrollably as Angel wrapped a piece of her shredded dress that she'd cut, around his head to stanch the blood pouring from his ear. It bled through almost immediately but looked to be slowing down somewhat after a few moments. Angel then began to run her hand soothingly through his hair. Beyond all reason, it seemed to calm the man down. Lucy wanted to rip the flesh from Angel's bones with her bare hands.

"I hate you," Lucy said towards the television screen, with all the seething anger she could muster. Her voice came out in a ragged, guttural.

"I hate you," she said again, fresh tears streaming down her face, "I fucking hate you."

Somewhere, this poor man's wife…and…daughter…were watching a husband, and father, being tortured on live television. They would probably watch him die as well. The thought of that made Lucy feel sick.

"It's not on every channel, is it?" Lucy asked, knowing it was a stupid question before she asked it.

Erich remained silent, which was answer enough.

"Speak only the words on the pages," came Angel's distant voice, nearly inaudible being so far from the microphone clipped to what remained of the anchorman's shirt.

"Any other words," she continued, "come with a cost that you will pay me in blood. That's a high price for you to waste on begging. At least make those words count."

Angel once more seized a fistful of his hair. The man winced in pain.

"Now. Continue."

Lucy reached her hand out to her side without looking. She felt Kouta take it.

"I need to do this," she said, "don't hide me from this."

Kouta pulled her into his arms and held her as she turned back towards the screen.

"I understand Lucy. I've got you…"

At last, the anchorman composed himself enough to continue.

"Citizens of Kamakura," he said slowly, "I have given these words to the man you see before you to speak in my stead. His, is likely a face, and voice, that you are familiar with. A man you trust to report the news that matters to you, as well as the news that does not. It seems to me, that it would be fitting for this man to be the one to speak aloud the words I've prepared. Perhaps, from his lips, you will find it easier to accept them. Because I assure you, tonight's report, absolutely matters to every last one of you.

No doubt you have not missed the recent developments in our city. Men with guns fill the street, herding you into so called "safe houses" and ordering you to be treated at field clinics. Perhaps they have told you a story of a terrorist attack and an unknown pathogen. Perhaps the story was of dangerous killers loose amongst you, nigh invincible except in the face of their military might. Perhaps it was no story at all. Perhaps you didn't need one. All you needed, was to be told where to go and what to do."

A shuffling of papers, then he resumed.

"Look at the skies above you. Even the most cowed of you must surely see that it is no natural occurrence. Many of you have already guessed at this. I have walked your streets and heard your fears. You know they're not telling you everything. They're not even telling you the truth. Though you do it in whispers, you are clamoring for that truth, waiting for someone to confirm what you already suspect."

More shuffling of papers, a pause as a wave of pain swept over him, then he continued.

"Truth," he said, though Lucy swore she could hear them spoken in Angel's voice, "I have never heard of a thing that fools demand so fervently, yet despise so vehemently once they have it. You treat truth with such irresponsibility that frankly, you deserve to be lied to. But then how terrible are lies really? Lies and deceptions kept you safe and alive as children. Because you were incapable of understanding why you followed the instructions of your parents. They could have told you why you shouldn't wander off from home, but you would not have known what to do with that information. It would slide off you like the unfamiliar language it was, and you would fall victim to the countless dangers of this world."

Another shuffling of paper. The anchorman's voice became somewhat steadier, as though he were reading with some measure of interest. It seemed to make him forget his fear somewhat, wanting, like everyone else, to know where this was going.

"You are still children," he went on, "and these men with guns, their safe houses, their stories…their lies…you view them as malevolent deceptions. A veil you feel some God given right to pierce at your whim. Let's see how worthy you are of the truth you so rabidly demand."

At a gesture from Angel, the anchorman pointed straight up as he read.

"Damn you Angel," Erich said softly, "goddamn you…"

"The 'virus' they told you of? Is not in your clinics, being systemically eradicated. It is above you in the sky. It is a weapon they built to kill monsters they have devoted their efforts to understanding, and controlling. Monsters they could not keep locked away in their island facility off the coast of your city. Monsters that are now loose amongst you….and standing before you now.

Their weapon has stained your clouds with blood, and tonight, they will finish what they started. They will bring the poison down upon you where it will sweep through every alleyway, inside every window, between the branches and leaves of every tree. It will carry on every breeze, and into the lungs of every man, woman, and child in this city. The weapon is meant to kill their monsters. To save you from us. So, why have they not simply told you the truth?"

The camera tilted up, seemingly of its own accord, and reveled Angel's awful gaze. Her hair spilled around her haphazardly, and her eyes were as cold as the winter sky. Most prominent of all were her Diclonius horns. It was at this point, Lucy noticed eyes shifting towards her, and her own horns.

"Because you…and us monsters…are so much alike. Nearly identical…in fact."

Lucy felt Kouta pull her closer as she heard footsteps shifting away from her. It was a furtive sound, and the retreat wasn't all that noticeable, but Lucy knew. She could feel the distrust, feel the people around them associating her with that monstrous woman on the screen. As far as they were concerned, they were the same person.

"So alike, in fact," she went on, "that their weapon will kill half of you all, along with us."

At this revelation, the man's hands began to shake, "h…how nice of them…to give us devils company in hell."

Distantly, from somewhere further in the hospital, Lucy could hear the beginnings of panicked voices. People who had heard those words, and tasted truth in them. Or perhaps it was simply that she had confirmed what they had already feared. The panic would be slow to build, but Lucy knew that when it did, it would sweep the entire city up. Even if Ryota's Institute tried to go public now to tell the people that the vector strain wouldn't actually kill anyone, at least not directly or right away, it wouldn't matter. Angel had just drawn a line between the people, and the military. Just as she'd drawn it ever more deeply between humanity, and the Diclonius.

"We," the man went on, "are the devils those men with guns kept locked away. We are their awful secret and we are the reason they are here. But now, it's no longer enough to silence us. They want those of you touched by us. Knowingly, or unknowingly. How many of you carry our blood in your veins? How many of you will die a screaming death when your benefactors bring down their weapon from your skies?"

Lucy watched the anchorman, disheveled, abused, and covered in blood. His eyes now bore a look she knew well. When this had started, he had been afraid to die. He was broken now, in a place beyond terror. A place where life and death no longer had meaning and the victim no longer had a self. She knew the only thing that kept the light in his eyes from completely going out, would be the family that would most surely be watching. She knew this feeling because she had felt it before. Locked away deep in the bowels of the Institute. Numb with pain and fear, but always humming a tune day in and day out. A song from a music box that reminded her that she still had a reason to live.

At another violent urging from Angel, the man began to read again. His voice no longer quivered however. He spoke in a dead, hollow tone. Full of resignation and despair.

"They swept in during the night and made a prison of your home. Now, they intend to turn that prison, into a mass grave. See how you are herded, lied to, threatened, and dominated. See the evidence before your eyes of a creature they would as soon say does not exist. Here, Kamakura, is your truth. What will you do with it?"

A short pause, "now children…play…nice." He let the last page fall to the floor, and looked into the camera. A look of anguish upon his bloodstained face. The show was coming to an end, and Lucy knew exactly how it was going to happen. Dread began to build up in Lucy.

"No no no," Lucy heard herself saying, "please don't, please don't. You got what you wanted Angel, please don't…"

Kouta held her tighter and she clutched him for dear life, not wanting to watch what was coming. Not wanting to think about that woman and little girl out there who were about to watch their world torn apart. Forever.

Pain squeezed her heart as she imagined what this would have been like for her if it had been Kouta on that screen.

Lucy began to breathe faster, tears welling up in her eyes. As she watched, she saw Kouta, in her mind's eye, on his knees with Angel's knife to his throat. As unfathomable as that agony would be to endure, Lucy knew somewhere in the city…it was becoming someone's reality.

Angel jerked his head back, and the man, knowing what was coming, began letting out short, terrified wails. Lucy dug her nails into Kouta's arm.

"No…no no no NO!" Lucy cried out, straining against Kouta's arm.

At long last, Erich closed his eyes.

Lucy, however, did not.

"Kasumi," the man spoke to the camera as a tear crawled down his bloodstained face, "I love you. Tell Sakura daddy loves her..."

Angel pressed the knife against his throat. His breathing became rapid and panicked. Lucy couldn't breathe at all.

"KASUMI!" he yelled, "DON'T LOOK! I LOV…."

His cry was abruptly cut off as Angel savagely dragged the blade across his throat. Blood cascaded from the ghastly wound almost immediately, and the sounds of him choking on his own blood were clearly audible from the microphone on his chest. He clutched uselessly at Angel's hand, which was still fisted in his hair, holding him upright. So that the whole city could watch him die.

Everyone in the room screamed, and Lucy snapped.

"NOOOOOO!" Lucy screamed. Almost without thinking, she shoved Kouta away, and lashed out with her vectors, hurling them towards the large television like phantom hammers. The impact shattered the television, causing shards of plastic and jagged pieces of the glass to fly in all directions. The sudden, mysterious destruction was the final straw for the remaining spectators in the room, who one and all, fled the room in a terrified panic. She knew it had been a mistake to do what she'd done but that last cruel act had obliterated her self-control.

Lucy began crying in heaving sobs, her legs and strength failing her completely. A dead weight in Kouta's arms, he let her sink to the floor where she cried so hard her chest hurt.

"I'm going to kill you!" Lucy screamed; Angel's cold gaze burned in her mind.

"Lucy, please!" Kouta pleaded, but there was no reaching her. Lucy was in a place beyond rage. She tried to stand up, though she wasn't sure where she was going to go. Find Angel somehow? Once on her feet however, all she could do was scream obscenities at the shattered television pieces while Kouta held her with all his strength.

"Lucy! It's over! Do you hear me? It's over!"

"Like hell it's over!" she screamed, "you know when it's over Kouta? WHEN I PULL HER FUCKING HEART OUT OF HER CHEST!"

Rage flooded through her. Worse than she'd ever felt it in her life. There would be no rest for her now. Not until she had washed the walls in Angel's blood.

"Lucy?" came a small, feminine voice. Nana, trying to calm her down, "please stop! You're going to hurt yourself, there's broken glass everywhere."

What were a few cuts from shattered glass? Next to the roaring anguish and rage.

Daisuke, Nana, and Takashi had formed a protective semi-circle around herself and Kouta. The wall of support cut through her fury and it melted into quiet sobs.

"I'm sorry," she said again out loud. To the complete stranger she watched die because of her own foolish choices. To his wife and daughter out there who were surely in the throes of unspeakable anguish. She would never be able to give back what had been stolen from them, but there was at least one thing she could do. Would do.

"With everything I am," Lucy whispered, "I swear…with everything I am…I'll kill her. Even if it kills me, I'll take that monstrous bitch with me."

"She will answer for everything she's done," Takashi said solemnly, "be assured of that Lucy. She will not escape us, or you."

"She doesn't want to escape," came Erich's voice.

Lucy suddenly remembered Erich, who stood a distance away from the gathering around Lucy. Knowing he didn't belong. Her head snapped up angrily, wanting an outlet for the rage that was still inside of her. Erich, who had been Angel's master and mentor for the past five years, seemed like an excellent target. Lucy rose abruptly to her feet and glared, taking a step towards him.

"Well what the fuck DOES she want then?" Lucy snapped, "huh? Tell me! You fucking OWE me that Vanith!"

Erich nodded his head in silent agreement, "yes, I suppose I do. Really, one might argue that I owe it to everyone she has destroyed, but she chose you for something Lucy. I would know what it was. Perhaps, it might be you, rather than I, who can really say what she wants."

Erich looked over towards Takashi, Daisuke, and Nana, "I would like a private word with Lucy, if you would not mind. I would ask to speak with Lucy alone, but given the circumstances, I won't ask Kouta to leave his woman's side."

Lucy saw Takashi give her a questioning look, to which she nodded. Lucy then turned to Nana and gave her a reassuring smile. The genuine look of concern Nana gave her tempted Lucy's guilt once again. She had grown to love Nana like a sister, despite what had happened between them in the past. Would she lose Nana like everyone else, once Yuka laid bare her crimes?

Lucy had to talk to Yuka. She didn't know if it was a good idea, but it couldn't be avoided.

"Nana," Lucy said, "could you…find Yuka for me? I'd like to see her after this. Daisuke, go with her? I suddenly have a really awful feeling about human sentiment towards horned girls."

"Understood," he said simply, reaching for his arm, and removing the drip."

"Daisuke?" Nana started, but he held up one hand, stopping her.

"I'm fine Nana, really. It's just painkiller anyway, but I'm not in that much pain anymore. Besides, Lucy's right, and I'd like to have the use of my arms just in case."

"Just as well I leave too," Takashi said, "Ryota will want to address this issue with the civilian population here. The last thing we need, is a panic right in our HQ. He'll also want to discuss how we're going to attack Westmore tonight. We'll bring you, and everyone else, up to speed during the briefing at sundown."

After flicking a glance towards Erich, Takashi gave Lucy and Kouta a nod, then left with Nana and Daisuke. A few lingering civilians also quietly slipped out of the room until its only occupants were Lucy, Kouta, and Erich. The silence stretched as she stared at him, and he at her. His gaze was unflinching, and piercing. Had it always been that way? Or did five years with Angel put it there?

He was an image of control, tightly wound together with his persona locked behind a cold, wooden stare. She knew it was a mask, for she had seen it cracked that night they met on the side of the road, and when she had walked into the room moments ago. She couldn't imagine what it cost him to maintain that outward appearance.

"Who is she?" Lucy finally asked.

It was a simple question, but one that Lucy knew was going to unveil terrible answers. Erich drew a breath, and let it out in a long sigh. Then, he began to speak.

* * *

><p>Yuka braced herself, and squeezed her eyes closed. So focused was she on enduring the first gut wrenching personal invasion that she hadn't heard the door swing open.<p>

"The fuck is this?" came an unknown voice, "are you serious right now? What the hell do you think you're doing? We're not on goddamn leave. You're gonna get your ass busted down all the way to shoe shiner if Command catches you fucking the civilians. No offense ma 'mm."

Yuka's eyes opened, and she stared numbly at the newcomer, a random soldier. Tears were still in her eyes and her gaze was somewhat unfocused. The abrupt end to the nightmare left her feeling numb and a little confused. With sick relief, she realized that the pig hadn't actually had time to consummate his vile act. While she wasn't looking at him, she could imagine how he, and this situation, probably looked. A crying woman with a thousand yard stare, and a petrified man, caught quite literally with his pants down.

"I…it's not…" came the voice behind her. He sounded meek now, and just a little afraid. Not like that smug, confident croon from before. She noted how cowardice came much more naturally to him than his false confidence. Now that it appeared she was safe from harm, her anger cascaded freely through her. It was everything she could do not to whirl around and slug the bastard. The newcomer's eyes narrowed, and his voice took on a threatening tone.

"Just what the fuck is going on here?" he said. Yuka saw him slowly reaching for his radio with one hand, and his gun with the other. It would serve this bastard right to get reported to his command for attempted rape. She relished the idea of watching him squirm.

But not as much as she wanted for Lucy to…

Inspiration struck her suddenly, and without warning.

"It's not what it looks like!" Yuka shouted abruptly, surprising herself. The soldier's hands froze.

"Are you sure?" he said suspiciously, "you look upset. I can call this in…"

Yuka used her anger at that pig, and her rage towards Lucy, and directed it towards the other soldier. As before, instinct seemed to propel her. She stood upright, smoothed her dress down, and placed her hands on her hips.

"You're DAMN right I'm upset! Do you see that!?" Yuka said angrily, pointing up at the ominously dark, blood red sky. The soldier's gaze followed where her finger pointed, then back to her, a wary look in his eye.

"We're prisoners in our own city, our own homes, there's something happening in the sky NOBODY can, or will explain, there's talk of a virus going around, people dying in the streets, and now, on top of all of this…"

With a supreme effort, she stepped towards her would be assailant, and threw her arms around his neck, turning a dark look on the other soldier, who now looked more confused than ever. She hoped the bastard she had her arms around had enough sense to not look as confused.

"On top of it, I hear my boyfriend is getting sent out on some damn suicide mission to fight with some other army out there. For all I know, I'll never see him again."

She tightened her arms around his neck. She wanted to choke him. She let that anger fuel her artificial indignation.

"I put him up to this, alright? I wanted to be with him one last time before he left so I dragged him out here. Are you satisfied!?"

"You're out here crying miss. Look, if something's…"

"Of course I'm crying you ass!" Yuka snapped, feeling a lot like she was having an out of body experience, "these could be my last moments with my boyfriend. Excuse me for being a little emotional about it!"

Silence for a moment after that. Yuka chanced a look at her attacker. He looked equal parts confused, and like anxiety was roaring through him. Despite this, he was doing well enough to school his expression. At least she hoped that's how it appeared to the other soldier who she knew was still trying to decide if he believed her performance. Dark pleasure thrilled through Yuka at knowing that if she wanted, she could ruin her would be assailant. HE would disappear. He seemed small and pathetic to her now. Disgust replaced the residual fear. She hoped he was panicking. It served the bastard right.

"I'm sorry for yelling," Yuka said, softening her tone, "I'm just a little upset, and I'm a little embarrassed at being walked in on."

"Look man, could you just give us…twenty minutes?" the pig spoke, finally getting it, and trying to contribute to her story. Took the moron long enough, "I know I'm asking a lot but…it's like she said…"

Yuka looked back over to the other soldier, who was studying both of them with a strange expression on his face. Finally, he sighed and let his hands drop to his side.

"Alright, sorry. Guess I misunderstood things. You have to admit though, It kind of looked….well…you know. Put yourself in my shoes. Shit looked weird."

"Everything's fine," said the other man, "could I ask you a favor?"

"Not if it's going to get me busted down with you. You know how Command feels about this kind of thing when we're on duty."

"They don't have to know that you're aware of us being out here. You can just say you're guarding the vehicle access hallway. IF they catch us, I'll tell Ryota we snuck past you. Most you'll get is an ass chewing for being negligent. Come on, not asking for much."

The other soldier let out an exasperated sigh, and shot a look through the window on the door he had emerged from.

"Fuck me…alright. I'd probably be doing the same damn thing if my girl were here, and not in some Institute civilian safe house two clicks out. Twenty minutes, and that's it. And if Ryota comes strolling down here for a surprise gear check, that's your own ass."

"I owe you one."

"Damn right."

The soldier turned to Yuka and nodded, "ma' mm."

She watched him leave, unwinding herself from that awful man the second the other soldier was out of sight. She waited until she could no longer hear footsteps, and then waited some more. Yuka let the silence stretch, her fists clenched and that terrible anger still burning inside her. She'd felt a lot like the last few moments had happened in some dream she was having. She felt light headed, and a little sick to her stomach. Her hatred of Lucy, and humiliation by this strange man, had twisted something inside her. She could feel it, though she didn't really know what it meant for her. Instinctively, she knew she had crossed some invisible mental threshold from which there was no going back.

There wasn't really enough room in her mind to process that however. All she could feel, was the poisonous contempt for Lucy, and the overwhelming belief that all of this...the red sky, Angel, the deaths in the city that she knew had happened already, Uncle, Kanae, the recent hardships her family was being made to endure, and nearly being raped in the back of a hospital….ALL of this, was Lucy's fault. In one way or another. She clung to that belief…that hatred…like a lifeline, though she couldn't imagine what it was saving her from.

She didn't really care to think too much about that though. The only thing in her mind, the only thing she believed without a shadow of a doubt, was that Lucy was the author of all Yuka's misery. Lucy did not deserve her stolen happiness while she left Yuka with the pain. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.

But it would BE right. It would BE fair.

"What's your name?" Yuka said coldly.

"Yuji…" he said, after a few moments hesitation.

"You're a pig, Yuji," Yuka said contemptuously, refusing to look at him, "do you know how lucky you are?"

"Why?" he asked, "why did you cover for me just now?"

"Shut your disgusting mouth!" Yuka spat, whirling on him angrily. It felt frighteningly good to spit venom at him with nigh impunity. She'd actually fully intended on answering his question, but couldn't resist the urge to insult him. Perhaps it was childish, and she felt slightly foolish, but she had been unable to resist.

She saw a flicker of movement in his hand, as though he had been considering going for his gun again. This time there was no fear. Yuka's eyes widened in indignation, and she chuckled derisively.

"What are you going to do? Shoot me? After all that? You're going to find that difficult to explain BOYFRIEND."

"I wasn't…"

"Also, you can shove those arrest threats up your ass along with that gun. That conversation's over."

"Alright."

"You're DAMN right 'alright'!" she spat again. She had to get control of herself. Frankly…she didn't quite feel like herself. She had played this game for a reason and it was time to get down to it, but first…

"What's in these trucks? Why did you expect to be alone out here? And don't bother lying to me. I may not know what you're lying about, but I can always tell when someone's lying to me!"

Which was true. She'd lived for too long in a house full of secrets that were guarded by people she would have given her life for at the drop of a hat. She could almost sense reticence in other people now. Like a miasma in the air. She could almost hear unspoken words, like furtive whispers that were just out of earshot.

Yuji spoke, without quite looking at her, "mostly pacification tech for Diclonius, and transport modules for pacified test subjects."

That was interesting.

"What kind of tech?" Yuka asked.

"Nullifiers. Just the headsets, the big area of effect ones they keep on the roof. Deactivated right now though, Ryota's orders. There's also flash bangs, gas grenades, sedatives. There are a few "Diclonius stun guns" in there too. Got them from Westmore's men before the split."

That was even more interesting.

"How do they work?" Yuka asked, "the stun guns?"

"Well…they're kind of like the area of effect vector nullifiers, but you have to get a lot closer with these. Got two modes you can use pretty much at the same time depending on which trigger you pull. The first one sends out this high frequency shock. Wouldn't bother a human, but it scrambles a Diclonius brain. Makes their vectors switch off like a light switch for a second or two. Just enough time to use the second mode."

"Which is?"

"Same as any ordinary stungun. Overworks the muscles, drops the attacker. The Americans were saying that when they lose control of their vectors, most Diclonius are so surprised and confused that they just stand there and let themselves get zapped. Effective range of the pulse is two meters though, so you have to get pretty close."

Yuka turned that over in her mind for a moment. Yuka didn't really think she could bring herself to kill anyone. Not even Lucy, no matter how much she hated her, but could there perhaps be another way? Would Lucy feel compelled to seek Yuka's forgiveness? Would she want to talk with Yuka? It would give them a reason to be alone, and if Yuka had one of those stunguns Yuji was talking about, even Yuka would have a chance to incapacitate Lucy. But…what then?

"What was that other thing you were talking about?" Yuka said, "the transport thing."

"I guess they're kind of like coffins," he said, "when a Diclonius has to be moved, they put her in one of those. Restrains them, hides them from view, and there's a device in them that scrambles the part of their brain that lets them use those vectors. They also have IV equipment where someone can administer sedatives or anything else from the outside without having to open the enclosure."

So perhaps Yuka could knock Lucy out and have this man help her load Lucy into one of those transports. Then he could just send her away somewhere. Didn't matter where, just away from here. Away from Kouta, and their family. Perhaps leave her somewhere for that other army to find and let them deal with her. If Lucy met with some permanent fate after that, it would be out of Yuka's hands. She felt like she could live with that.

As long as Lucy was gone, and out of their lives, it didn't matter how. Once she was gone, and not constantly around to confuse Kouta, perhaps he would finally come back to himself completely. Yuka was still utterly convinced that Kouta's mind was still recovering. Maybe once Lucy was gone, he could heal, and he would see how Lucy had taken advantage of his fragile mental state to insinuate herself somewhere that she had no right to be.

She was almost glad for what had just happened. She finally had a way to make everything right again. She felt guilty at the idea of deceiving Kouta, but hadn't both he and Lucy done the same to her? Maybe it wasn't right, but it would at least be fair. Yuka knew Kouta would ask questions about what had happened to Lucy, but with things the way they were in the city, Yuka didn't think it would be hard to imagine a scenario that would have caused Lucy to suddenly vanish.

"You still haven't told me why you covered for me," Yuji said, looking uncomfortable. Her thoughts interrupted, Yuka's eyes refocused back on him. Where was all that smug arrogance now? She loathed him.

"Because I have a problem, and unless you want me to go running back inside to tell your partner his first instinct was right, you're going to help me solve it."

"What kind of problem," he said after a moment's silence, glaring at her, likely furious at being in this position and being unable to do anything about it. Good, Yuka thought. Now he could feel how she had felt.

"A Diclonius problem," Yuka replied.

Yuji let out a humorless chuckle, "no shit? You and all of Kamakura…"

"I'm talking about a Diclonius in this hospital," Yuka said, "Lucy. You know her?"

Yuji's eyes darkened and he spat, "yeah, I know who that bitch is. Killed a lot of us a year ago, and now Command wants to act like the shit never happened. Now she struts around here, throwing it in our faces."

So, they both despised Lucy. That would make things easier, though Yuka didn't exactly like the idea that she had anything in common with this man at all. Even in who they considered enemies.

"I have a similar problem with her," Yuka said, "and I'm sick of her throwing it in MY face."

"So," said the man, a sly smile returning to his face, "what do we do about this?"

"First off, answer my other question," Yuka said, "why is there no one out here with the vehicles?"

"I…" he said, the smile vanishing from his face, "pulled some strings to stand guard duty out here. There's supposed to be two others but I convinced them we didn't need that many back here. Most of the civilians are already accounted for by either our soldiers or Westmore's, so there isn't likely to be anyone coming around to cause any trouble. Especially not at a building full of soldiers."

Yuka didn't think he was telling her the whole truth about why this area was devoid of guards. After all, why would it be important for HIM to be the one who stood guard here? She dismissed it however, as she didn't really care. Whatever reasons he had for making sure this place was deserted served her own purpose just as well.

Yuka's heart thumped in her chest as she thought about what she was about to attempt. She knew she couldn't waste this opportunity but the idea of going through with it caused a painful knot of anxiety to grow in her stomach. She almost told Yuji that she'd changed her mind, but she thought of Lucy and Kouta in that room together. That thought was enough to reinforce her desire to get Lucy away from here. She could do this.

Then everything would be alright again. Yuka was sure of it.

"Could you get me one of those stunguns?"

"What?"

"I want one of those Diclonius stunguns."

Yuji took a step back and looked at her curiously, "are you crazy? If you get caught with that…"

"Look asshole," Yuka snapped, "our twenty minutes is almost up. Unless you want my story to suddenly change, I'll have it in my hand before time runs out."

"Don't you think that's going to seem a little hard to believe?" Yuji said with a small smile, "just changing your story at the drop of a hat?"

"Maybe," Yuka admitted, "but unlike you, I don't have as much to lose by trying."

The smile vanished from Yuji's face, replaced with a glare.

"Now," Yuka said, "hurry up so we can talk about how we're going to do this. Help me, and we can just forget about all of this."

Somewhere, deep down, there was a voice warning her not to go through with this. That voice, however, was drowned out in a deluge of anger that was sweeping Yuka hopelessly away in its current.

* * *

><p>Lucy stood silent, watching the sky at a nearby window. Kouta stood near her and Erich some distance away. Lucy felt numb from everything she had heard. To know the terrible past of the woman who had come to her home.<p>

She had listened as Erich had talked about what Angel had shared of her earliest years. A child prostitute, abused for years by men as she grew into her strength and killed her first victims. She listened with numb shock at hearing of Angel's training. Five years of it, where she learned how to fight, use weaponry, even equipment and vehicles. Lucy remembered well Angel's deadly grace and skill. Now Lucy knew where it had come from. This man had turned a psychopath, into a killing machine.

She listened with disgust as Erich confessed to sending Angel to kill other Diclonius girls as part of that training. Lucy understood now how it had seemed so natural for Angel to fight with Lucy. She'd had plenty of experience murdering her own kind. The one thing Lucy had in her favor however, which Erich had confirmed, was that Angel had never faced a Diclonius as powerful in the use of her vectors as Lucy was. Perhaps that was something Lucy could use to her advantage.

Lucy noted, as he spoke, a strange note of reverence in Erich's voice as he talked about the monster he had helped create. There was a strange pride in his voice, at having made her exactly what he'd wanted.

Well…almost exactly.

He had expected to be able to control her. The more he tried, however, the more she seemed to confuse, frustrate, and elude him. Erich had confessed to days where he was unsure if she'd wanted to kill him, or please him. Even with the latter, Erich felt that any compliance by her, to his demands, was only because it suited some game she was playing with him. A game where he was never sure of the rules, nor if he won or lost.

Was that what Angel's time with Lucy had been? A game? Lucy understood Erich's confusion. She too, had been unsure of the rules of that game, and at the end, was just as unsure whether she'd won, or lost.

Though, in truth, she knew the game was not over yet. They were in the final hours of that game now.

"So," Erich said from behind her, after a long moment of silence, "now you know…what you're up against."

Lucy said nothing, continuing to stare out at the dark red sky. The evening sun's rays pierced through it, causing the cloud filtered sunset to blanket the city in an ominous red tint. Small droplets of rain began to tap lightly at the window. Lucy half expected that rain to be drops of blood, as though from a bleeding sky.

"I have answered your question," Erich said, "now I would ask one of you."

"Ask," Lucy said in a hollow voice. She felt Kouta step closer and slide an arm around her waist in a comforting gesture. She silently thanked him for it.

"Why did she come to you?" Erich asked her, "why did she try to live amongst you and yours? You have to understand, I have never known her to do anything like this."

Lucy sighed, "I'm not entirely sure why, but I think she was trying to prove something to herself."

"Prove what?"

"I don't…" Lucy struggled to gather her thoughts. Some of the things Erich had told her felt tantalizingly close to answering the questions Lucy had been left with.

"She talked a lot about what was real," Lucy began, "and what wasn't. It seemed very important to her to get to the bottom of why people did the things they did."

"She has always done that," Erich said, "almost like an obsessive quest."

Lucy nodded, "I watched her kill two men who had attacked me a few nights ago…"

"What?" Kouta exclaimed, but she went on, ignoring the outburst.

"…while she went through this speech about how deep down, people like that were just waiting to die. She said people hurt other people to fill holes in themselves…."

Something occurred to her, that hadn't occurred to her then, when Angel had said the words. Having listened to Erich story, she felt something click. One of her questions answered.

"She's trying to understand herself," Lucy said, more to herself, "that's the hole SHE'S trying to fill…"

Lucy heard Erich step closer, and she turned around to face him. There was a look in his eyes…as though he were putting pieces together in his own mind. Just as she was.

"I suppose…I never considered that," he said, "she always seemed so self-assured."

"She hasn't found the answer yet."

"No, I wouldn't expect she has, if what you say is true. Those I have watched her kill, and those she destroyed in the past, fit the schema she developed during her years as a whore. Or rather, she herself fit those people into the parameters of that schema. I suppose that wasn't a difficult thing to do. She's not exactly wrong about most people in the world, in that many of them are base animals.

Anyway, it seems that Angel's schema did not bring with it a deeper understanding of herself, and as long as she kept coming across individuals who merely legitimized her views on humanity, she wasn't going to learn anything new about herself."

"Not all people are like that you know," Kouta said, "not like animals. If you expect the worst in people all the time, then that's all you will see."

"I don't disagree with the idea of that being a self-fulfilling prophecy," Erich said, "but in most cases, it is better to expect the worst than the best. At least that way, you are prepared. The world certainly had not been doing much to dissuade Angel of such an opinion on humanity. But now, however, I think Angel finally saw something that threatened her way of thinking."

Erich looked squarely at her, "I think that something, was you Lucy."

_"I felt it when we first met. Something you found out in the world that changed you…made you different from so many others. So close…felt the answer so close I could taste it."_

Angel's words to Lucy, a few nights ago.

Love, was what Lucy had found. Love, had saved her. But Angel, had so vehemently denied its very existence. To Angel, love was a delusion. Why had THAT been so important for Angel to convince Lucy of? As she asked the question in her mind, another answer clicked into place.

"I know why she chose me," Lucy said, "she wanted me to prove to her that love didn't exist. If I had done what she wanted me to do that night…kill…Kouta, and Yuka…she would have considered her point proven."

Something was nagging at the corner of Lucy's memory. Something during the fight at Maple Inn…

"But why?" Erich said in a quiet voice, "she already didn't believe in it. She'd gone to great lengths to impress that point upon me. Why would she need proof?"

A name…she had been repeating a name…over and over…

"No," Lucy said, distractedly, "it was never you she was trying to convince. It was herself."

"But…why?" Erich asked again. His tone of voice made Lucy focus harder on him. There was need in his voice. A burning desire to understand why. His piercing gaze reminded her so much of Angel in that moment that she wondered if Angel had gotten it from…

Lucy's breathing caught, as her mind gave voice to the memory.

Angel, had been calling Erich's name.

"You saw her that night," Lucy said in a whisper, the final answer only inches away, "didn't you?"

She hadn't been conscious of stepping away from Kouta, but she had. She now stood before Erich, her full attention upon him. The man who had helped shape Angel. The man who, according to her, had always been watching. A man who's name she cried out silently in a moment of pain induced delirium.

"Yes," Erich whispered in reply.

"What happened that night Erich?" Lucy asked.

"She…" he started, closing his eyes and furrowing his brow, as though he were having difficulty finding the right words, "was trying to remind me of why I needed her. Why I set her, and us, on this path. We were supposed to be the cure for this world. A world that, to me, is sliding into a darkness of self-destruction. Five years ago, I believed I could place myself in a position to stop that from happening. All I needed, was a weapon powerful enough to get me there.

But…I was a fool. Just another man with a hole in his soul, trying to fill it somehow…as she would say. It took Angel to make me see that. That night, as she tried to remind me of the man I'd once been, all I could see were the bodies on the floor, the blood on the walls, and the terror on that poor girl who was listening to us talk. I'd realized that this was all that would ever come of my pointless quest. I realized then, that my quest had been less about saving the world, and more about hating it. Wanting to punish it for being what it was."

Erich opened his eyes, "she was ready to end the chase…but my heart was so full of rage. I wanted to hurt her. I tried to kill her, but I failed and she escaped. She would not kill me…she could have…but she…wouldn't…"

"Of course she wouldn't…" Lucy said softly, understanding at last, the answer clicking into place, "...can't you see?"

"What?"

Did either of them realize? Lucy could see it now, plainly. She heard it in Angel's voice as she'd spoken his name, and saw it in her desperate quest. She heard it in Erich's reverence as he spoke of her. Lucy knew she was right…there could be no other reason...

"Erich," Lucy said quietly, "Angel, is in love with you."

Lucy could see the words stagger him, as the revelation had staggered her.

"No," Erich whispered, "that's…impossible…"

"And you're in love with her too…"

"NO!" he shouted, his control unwinding in the blink of an eye, making Lucy take a step back in surprise.

"Yes," Lucy said firmly, regaining her wits.

"She can't…" he stammered, running a hand through his hair, "I don't…"

"She can, you do."

"She doesn't believe in it!"

"That's why she came back to Maple Inn," Lucy said, "to make me choose. If I chose her, she could deny the truth of her feelings for you. If the love was not real, then the pain wouldn't be either. You broke her heart Erich…"

"…no…"

"…she reached out for you that night and you ripped her heart out. That's the only kind of pain Angel can't endure. I saw what it did to her last night Erich. It drove her insane. She hoped I could make the pain not real, but I denied her that comfort. Now she has nothing but the pain. A hole she's filling with the lives of other people."

Lucy shook her head sadly, "do you think she felt the same way about the man who whored her? What if she did? What if she couldn't bear the thought of him just throwing her away like garbage? Maybe that's why she killed him, and everyone else."

"If that's true, then why didn't she kill me?"

"Because unlike with the man before you, her feelings aren't one sided, are they? You chased her all over Kamakura. You, Erich. Alone. I don't think that fact was entirely lost on her and really, for what reason did you do it? To stop her? Kill her? Maybe you just wanted to see her again."

Erich was shaking his head, but was no longer trying to deny it.

"I can see it written all over you Erich," Lucy said, "you love her. You want to understand Angel? Admit it to yourself…stop hiding from the truth."

A long moment passed as Erich leaned back against the wall, his eyes unfocused. Lucy could almost see him replaying in his mind, every moment he'd spent with Angel for the last five years, examining them with this new knowledge. Lucy saw the moment when the truth hit him with crystal clarity. Saw in his eyes the moment he accepted it.

"God help me…" he said finally, sliding down the wall into a sitting position, "…God help me…"

Lucy, finally broken from her intense concentration, turned to look towards Kouta who was watching the scene with a look of pity and understanding in his eyes. If anyone in the world knew what it meant to love a monster, Kouta did. Kouta probably understood how Erich was feeling better than anyone else in the world right now. He shook his head sadly at the shell shocked, slumped form of Erich Vanith.

"No wonder you murdered Celine," she heard Erich say, though it was more to himself, "you…stupid girl…I warned you…not in front of Angel…I warned you…"

"Lucy," Kouta said softly, pressing his palm against her lower back, "come on…"

"But…" Lucy protested, but at a look from Kouta, she stopped, remembering that once, Kouta went through the same thing with Lucy.

"Let's go," he said.

"Ok," she replied, and let Kouta lead her slowly away. After a few steps, however, she stopped and turned back to Erich.

"This is about you," Lucy said, "you know that don't you? All of this, is about you, and Angel. She's out there waiting for you. Not me. You."

Erich looked up, and only stared at her.

"She needs you," Lucy said, "she just doesn't realize it."

"She still has to die," Erich said, in a dead voice. Lucy looked away, her feelings in turmoil. She despised Angel, hated her with every fiber of her being. Even still…the tragedy of it crushed her. She couldn't imagine how terrible it must be to love someone while knowing they couldn't be allowed to live. To say nothing of coming to terms with loving a monster such as Angel.

"I'm sorry," Lucy said, "but you're right. She has to die. I…we…can't let her keep hurting people. Destroying lives."

"I watched what happened on that TV screen just like you did. I know. It has to end."

He stood up slowly and looked beseechingly towards Lucy.

"I want it to be you," Erich said, "that does it. That…kills her. You, who can understand her. I think that…more than any other reason…is why I believe you are the only one who can stop her. It…seems only right…if you're the one."

Lucy only nodded.

"Tell her," Erich said, "tell her for me…if I don't see her before you do. Tell her…"

"That you love her?"

A long moment of silence passed between them in that empty, quiet room.

"Yes," he said, almost inaudibly.

"I will Erich," Lucy said, "she will know the truth before it's over. I promise."

With that, Lucy let Kouta lead her from the room. It was just as well; she could no longer bear being in the room with Erich. Couldn't watch what the truth was surely doing to him. The pain that must be ripping through him at this very moment.

Fresh tears welled in her eyes for two people who deserved them the least out of everyone in the world.


	43. The Price of Vengeance

**AN: Well, again I regret the long absence. I suffered a rather nasty bout of writers block for a while, and actually deleted two versions of this chapter before deciding upon this one. Some have told me that perhaps I'd been hesitant to continue because I am afraid for this story to end. I suppose that's not entirely out of the question. It's been a part of my life for a while now.**

**Anyway, this chapter is what I consider to be the climax of what I'd been calling "The Hospital Purgatory". After this, I'll be writing the final chapters and drawing out all the end game struggles and the final confrontations. Hopefully once I get going on this, it will be easier to continue, considering I've been waiting a long time to get to this point.**

**Well, without further ado, here is chapter 43. I hope you enjoy it, and as always, thank you for reading :)**

* * *

><p>It was dark in the room, save for the light that spilled in from the hallway, and the fading light of sunset outside. Arakawa preferred it that way for the moment. She'd wanted some time alone to think, and have some last sense of peace before the fighting began once again.<p>

She placed a hand on the cold glass of the window she was standing in front of, watching the city as she let her thoughts drift. In the quiet of the room, she could both hear, and see, the light rain droplets as they fell upon the window. The rain fell in slow sheets to the city below. Not enough to be a downpour yet, and certainly not enough to quench the fires in the distance that Arakawa could already see. It was happening sooner than she'd imagined; the people were in a full panic and some were already choosing to fight and riot. Thanks to Ryota, however, such things were not happening here.

She thought back to a few hours ago, when Ryota had gathered as many of the people as he could to address Angel's message. The people had been understandably angry and afraid. Ryota had not attempted to manipulate them with lies or half-truths. He told them exactly what they were up against and what was happening. He spoke of the Diclonius and of the virus in the sky. He did all he could to assure them that he was doing everything in his power to protect the people of the city and stop the malevolent forces at work within it. Some believed him, some did not, but most were too afraid to do anything else than what they had been doing; staying inside and off the streets. Arakawa supposed most people didn't really care what the reasons were for what any of them were doing. They just didn't want to be lied to, which was understandable. They also simply wanted to feel safe, which was also something Arakawa empathized with. In some ways, she wished she could be one of them, who's only responsibility was to keep their heads down and wait until the shooting stopped. Arakawa was too involved in what was happening to entertain such fantasies, but in truth, she knew she wouldn't want to be anywhere else. She had come too far and endured too much to let fear make her weak. She wasn't weak. Not anymore. Not ever again.

Besides, compared to Ryota's burden, her own was practically nothing. Her heart had ached as she'd watched Ryota, who looked exhausted beyond all endurance, continue to shoulder such heavy burdens. She had wanted him to look in her direction so she could offer him a warm smile, or some other sign to tell him that she was still with him. Still believed in him. He never did. Arakawa wasn't sure if it was simply that he wouldn't allow himself to, or perhaps thought he might find judgment in her eyes for him. If he thought that, he was sorely mistaken.

She took a step forward and rested her forehead on the cool glass. She closed her eyes and listened to the soft sound of the rain and distant thunder. She sighed and silently wished time could stop for a while. She wasn't exactly eager to leave with the military, but eventually she would have to. She was the last one left who knew how to operate Red Sky, and handle the chemical components. She had designed both after all. Ryota could give her the password, but she would have to do the work. She allowed herself a moment to give in to dread. She would be a part of the assault. Granted, she would be bringing up the rear but it would have been naïve to assume this meant she would not have to use the pistol she wore at her hip. She lightly touched it with her fingers, mostly to assure herself it was there. It could be worse. She could be without it, and have no way to fight if it came down to it. Being able to fight back made all the difference in the world for her. After being a victim for so long, there was almost nothing that was more important to her than that.

That, really, was why she wouldn't want to be anywhere else but at the front lines of this. The people in the city, they were the victims. The bystanders of this conflict. But she and the others? They were the soldiers, the warriors. She wouldn't be waiting to discover the outcome. She would help decide it.

She opened her eyes and stared at the darkening sky. It was dark red in all directions, catching the light from the setting sun. The streets below were already dark, the fading light not strong enough to reach in between the alleyways and narrow roads. Shadows slowly crawled down the sides of buildings and spilled onto the empty, haunted streets below. The foreboding was strong and Arakawa found it fitting. This night, would decide everything. They would either win tonight, or die. It was a frightening thought.

A furtive sound interrupted her thoughts. It wasn't a stealthy sound so Arakawa didn't feel compelled to turn around. Quiet footsteps entered the room and blocked some of the hallway light. When they didn't proceed further into the room, Arakawa smiled to herself.

"Close the door Ryota?" she said softly, "please?"

After a moment, she heard the door quietly click shut.

"How did you know it was me?" came Ryota's familiar somber voice.

"The way you walk," she said, "slow, deliberate. Knew it was a soldier's boots on the floor too. Been listening to what that sounds like all afternoon. After that, it was mostly just a good guess."

"You're very observant," he said.

"Just when it comes to certain things," she said, still staring out of the window, "or people."

"I'm sure it's more than just that," he said, taking a few more steps into the room. He stopped short however. Three steps back, Arakawa reasoned.

"It's kind of beautiful…in a way," she said, referring to the scene outside, "don't you think?"

He did not answer her right away, and as the silence stretched, Arakawa knew that he had to be searching for some way to begin explaining himself for Project: Atavist. She wondered if he had been afraid to come here, or if he was approaching this with the same grim resignation that marked his every decision and responsibility. She did not want that to ruin what could be their last night together. He could die tonight…and so could she. The thought made her stomach twist in painful knots.

"…Akane…" he said finally, "…I want to say…"

"Stop," she said softly, turning around to face him. The sight of him was breathtaking to her. He did not seem old as much as simply tired. He looked strong despite the weariness, and she wondered what he had been like in his younger years. Had there been more light in those eyes? Laughter in his face? Now, dark shadows fell upon that face, made deeper by the dark of the room. Strands of his long, silvered hair had escaped the braid and fell across his face. He wasn't wearing his weapons or his tactical vest. He had come simply as a man, and seemed to her to be standing in judgment. Arakawa felt frustrated for him. He never allowed himself any peace at all.

No, that was not going to be the way of this.

"I know that I…" he began again.

"Ryota…please stop," she said again.

He fell silent and simply stared at her.

"Hold me," Arakawa whispered, "just…hold me."

He didn't move immediately, which she'd expected. Most everything he did was unhurried, which made him a calming presence. She'd noticed how his calm demeanor made the people around him feel more at ease. His presence took the edge off of their fears. They would never guess at the despair deep inside him that ate away at his soul. They saw a man for whom nothing could touch. The reality was that there was simply nothing left to destroy.

As he took slow steps towards her however, she knew that it wasn't completely true. Some of that light was still there. She could see that in him, even in the dark.

As he reached her, she stepped into his arms and wrapped her own arms around his waist. She turned her face and rested her head against his shoulder as he pulled her close against her. In the quiet, she could almost hear his heart beating, and could certainly feel it. They stood like that for a moment, neither speaking. The only sounds in the room was the faint patter of the rain outside which was starting to pick up slightly.

Ryota sighed and she felt one of his hands stroke her hair. Her eyes closed.

"Don't need an explanation," Arakawa whispered, "I'm sure you had your reasons, and I won't make you answer to me."

"I did…have my reasons Akane…"

"If he hadn't asked you, it just would have been someone else," Arakawa said, "someone who wouldn't have cared what happened to the people in his insane project. I read the reports Ryota. They look incomplete. Too many 'security lapses'…I think you know something about them."

Ryota said nothing.

"I think you were helping people escape. Without him knowing."

After another moment of silence, Arakawa pulled away to look into his eyes, but still kept her hands on his waist.

"You see, you showed me something about yourself when you helped me escape, and in everything you've done since then. You told me that something when you said you couldn't stop the seasons, but could only help others weather the storm. Kakuzawa, he didn't know you. Not like I do. He wouldn't have been able to read between the lines, but I could."

Ryota closed his eyes. Through his expression, Arakawa knew he was seeing the faces of all those who died when…

"Ryota…look at me."

She pressed her hand against his face and watched his eyes open. Still so much guilt and regret there.

"It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was…I…"

"Could never have foreseen what happened to Katsuo. How could you possibly have known?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head, silencing him.

"You didn't go alone to that town for the reasons you said. I'm sure they were true, but I don't think that was the whole truth. I think you went out there to die. I think once you were done, you were going to kill yourself."

He looked away from her then, his eyes sliding shut again.

"It's true, isn't it?"

He said nothing. Arakawa's heart ached for him. So much pain and guilt he had been carrying around. So many lives lost which he carried the responsibility for. It was enough to break a lesser man. Or even a great one…

"Oh Ryota," she whispered, pulling him close to her again, "you don't have to do this anymore. You don't have to carry another evil bastard's guilt for him."

He sighed, "it is as I said before…you are very observant…Akane."

She pulled back just enough to face him. After a moment of silence, she leaned forward and pressed her lips upon his, lingering just long enough for him to kiss her back. She melted against him at feeling him reciprocate, needing her. She could feel it in the way his fingers tightened against her, and the sharp breaths that shuddered so furtively she almost didn't notice. After a time, she pulled back to look upon his face. There was less pain in his eyes now, as though he were letting go of some of that awful weight. Or had at least forgotten about it for a while.

"You are right Akane," he said finally, "I was to be the last to die that day. My way of apology to all of those I could not save."

"But you didn't."

"No…I didn't. Because there was one left. One survivor. I felt if I could save him, protect him from what Kakuzawa would have made of him, then perhaps it would not have been a complete failure. But he was damaged by his experiences in that town. It made him a monster. I had…heard…of what he was capable of, but I foolishly ignored it. I thought he could still be saved, released from the pain that turned him into the monster he became. I thought that for years, but now there is no denying the truth. I stayed my hand out of guilt for those I failed in the past. Perhaps I saw my hope to save Katsuo's soul as…some kind of redemption."

He took a slow breath, and let it out in a defeated sigh, "for that foolish hope…more people suffered. It was a mistake to let him run rampant for as long as I did. All I can do now, is stop him…before he brings his pain onto anyone else. I see now that there is no saving him. He was lost long ago…even before we met on that terrible day."

She saw tears forming on his face as he continued, "I loved him like a son…and now…I have to kill him."

"No," came a masculine voice from the hallway, "that won't be necessary."

Both Ryota and Arakawa turned towards the sound to see Bando standing there in full Institute tactical dress. He bristled with weapons, including the signature Desert Eagle which sat at the holster on his right hip.

"Because Ghost and I," Bando continued, taking a step into the room, "have a score to settle. And that's the way it's going to be."

"Bando…" Ryota said quietly, "the uniform…it suits you."

The corner of Bando's mouth upturned in a smile, "never thought I'd find myself in this thing again. Thanks for the clearance. I have to admit, I feel a lot better properly armed. Especially with what's going to happen tonight."

A few moments of silence before the mood turned sober.

"I get it," Bando said, "you feel responsible for him. You want to close that chapter yourself. We both need this."

"So," Ryota said, "what do we do?"

"You're the commander," Bando said, shifting his weight, "so order it."

Both men stared at one another for a moment in silence. Bando looked powerful, confident, ready to fight. He always looked that way, but dressed so officially in his tactical uniform, it was mildly intimidating.

"Order it," Bando said again, "and it's as good as done. As good as firing that bullet yourself."

"Bando…" Ryota said weakly.

"Yes Commander?" Bando replied sternly, a small smile on his face. As Arakawa watched Ryota collect himself and reassume his role of commander, she silently thanked Bando. It seemed that she was not the only one who was observant.

"Very well Bando. These are your orders," Ryota said solemnly, "you are to accompany Sergeant Takashi and myself to the Red Sky launch site. Once we begin our attack, you are to break off from the main force with a small strike team and infiltrate the site with Doctor Arakawa. Your first objective will be to locate Red Sky and either disable the launch system, destroy the rocket, or if those two things prove impossible, replace the chemical compound to neutralize Red Sky's viral compound in the clouds."

Ryota took a deep breath, and continued, "your second objective…is to locate, and…terminate… Commander Katsuo Rin, who will likely be on site defending the launch. Under no circumstances must he be allowed to leave the area alive."

And there it was. Judgment was passed. Arakawa felt the weight of it as she was sure Bando did also.

"Understood…sir," Bando said finally.

Both men stared at one another, and Arakawa could almost feel all that was passing between them. So many things unspoken, yet understood.

The moment was broken by chatter on Bando's radio.

"Command, we have a situation out by the trucks. Shots fired and a man down, with others wounded. Several civilians involved…including one of the Diclonius."

Bando's eyes went wide before he turned and bolted from the room.

"This is Bando, responding…"

The rest of it was drowned out with his departure. Arakawa began to walk out of the room after him with Ryota. What had happened?

* * *

><p>She had known this was coming. Thought she had been prepared for it, but nothing could have done that. Nothing.<p>

Lucy stood near Kouta in the empty, dimly lit cafeteria area. Many of the citizens had retreated to patient rooms or smaller areas to congregate amongst those closest to themselves. Lucy supposed it made them feel somewhat safer. What it meant for the rest of the hospital was that large common areas like this, stood empty and near silent.

It made this moment so much worse as she stood before Yuka's hateful glare.

Lucy and Kouta had been walking through the cafeteria, on their way to find the others. Lucy had been more interested in finding Ryota and Takashi so they could prepare for their departure tonight. They had instead come across Yuka, who had been sitting alone at one of the long tables in the room. She looked somewhat disheveled and in a strange state of shock, but that had given way to focused hatred the moment she had laid eyes on Lucy. The look in her eyes had taken the breath from Lucy's lungs and stopped her in her tracks.

None spoke for a while, and Lucy felt she could cut the tension in the air with a knife, but they had to start somewhere.

"Kouta," Lucy said quietly, "give us some time alone please?"

"Lucy are you…"

"Kouta," she said, interrupting him. She didn't need Yuka watching him argue with her about this.

He hesitated for a moment, then sighed.

"It's alright Kouta," she said, "just find Takashi. Tell him we'll be there soon."

He nodded, took one look at Yuka, then sighed again and started walking away. As he moved past Yuka, Lucy saw her eyes shift slightly to follow him, and her hand twitch as though she wanted to reach out for him. That hand curled into a fist as Kouta passed her. It felt like a long time for Kouta's footsteps to fade away and vanish.

When they did, silence prevailed for a time. Lucy didn't really know what to say and she felt frozen in place by Yuka's poisonous glare. Her stomach tightened in painful knots and she had to curl her hands slightly to keep them from trembling. She felt like she would have been entirely unable to stop Yuka if she had simply gotten up and started choking her, which judging by the look in Yuka's eyes, was probably not a thing that was far from her mind.

Lucy gathered up her courage and walked slowly towards the table where Yuka sat. Lucy sat in a chair opposite her and could hear Yuka breathing heavily through her nose. She looked like bottled rage, ready to explode at a moment's notice.

Lucy sighed, "Yuka…"

Yuka slammed her fists down on the table, startling Lucy; the sudden surprise making her blood feel like small needles were coursing through her body.

"FUCK YOU!" Yuka screamed at the top of her lungs, tears escaping her hate filled eyes. She now breathed heavily through her mouth, which hitched in angry sobs.

"I'm sorry…" Lucy said in a small voice.

"You're sorry," Yuka repeated mockingly, nastily, "sorry for what? Not killing me too you bitch!"

Lucy flinched as if she'd been physically struck.

"You're sick!" Yuka spat, "how could….how COULD you?"

"I wish I could take everything back…I wish I could make you understand Yuka…"

"I don't want to understand!" Yuka replied in a ragged voice, "what is there to understand? You killed my uncle, Kanae. In front of Kouta! And you dare…YOU DARE!?"

How could she explain to Yuka that she hadn't been herself? Driven by a childish hatred and too much power for her young mind to comprehend? How could she explain the little things that built up into a tragedy she had regretted every day of her life since?

"You're a monster," Yuka said, "and you deserve to die."

Lucy sighed sadly, "I…don't particularly disagree with you. I suppose if it had been up to me, I would have."

"Then why don't you? Why don't you just kill yourself you piece of shit! Save Angel the trouble!"

"Do you really want her to win Yuka? Do you hate me so much you'd be ok with that?"

Lucy watched frustration fill Yuka's face, knowing that she wanted to say yes, but also knowing she didn't really want that to happen.

"I can't take back what I've done," Lucy said, "but I can tell you, honestly, I have not gone a day since that I haven't regretted it. I wish I could take it back, I wish that more than anything I have ever wished for in my life."

Yuka remained silent, angry tears streaming down her face.

"I couldn't live with it anymore. When you and Kouta found me on the beach that day, after I'd been hurt, it was so easy…to just…run away. Be someone else, someone that couldn't have possibly done such terrible things. Before I knew it, I was Nyuu. Sometimes, I wish I'd never woken up from that. It was like those years hadn't happened, and those terrible things had never taken place. I didn't have to live with what I had done to you all."

Lucy shook her head, "but I don't deserve to forget. I brought indescribable pain to the first, and only person, I have ever loved. I will carry that for the rest of my life, and if it were solely my own wishes involved, I would have let them kill me that night I left to meet the Institute's army. I almost did."

"I wish you had," Yuka said bitterly, though some of the fire was leaving her voice. It was replaced by frustration however, as if Yuka wanted desperately to hang onto her rage but was having trouble due to her capacity for empathy. Lucy knew it still existed in Yuka, despite her anger and rage.

Lucy nodded, "but I knew that would have been a mistake. Kouta…he…still loved me…"

"Stop…talking…about him…"

"…and I couldn't let myself die for that reason. He'd lost so much already because of me. It seemed beyond all reason, but he did not want to lose me too. He fought so hard to make me stay with him that night, but I thought my mind had been made up. I felt I had done what I had kept myself alive to do. Apologize to him, and tell him how much he meant to me. It wasn't until I was starting death in the face that I knew I couldn't let it end that way."

"And look what happened for it? You brought The Institute back into our lives. Brought Angel into our lives to tear us apart over YOU!"

"I'm…so sorry…for that. I didn't know…"

"And that makes it alright for you to endanger us like that? You haven't changed at all!"

Now Lucy's own temper began to flare up, "Damn you Yuka, you know better than that."

"How DARE you!"

"You've seen me as I really am! You KNOW the real me Yuka! How could I hide THAT from you all this time?"

"You deceived us about what you'd done for so long! You could lie about anything!"

"It's true, I kept the truth of what I had done from you, but I could not deceive you about who I am. Hear me Yuka, look at me…am I really so different from the woman you knew a few days ago?"

Yuka retracted her hands from the table and into her lap as her shoulders hunched. She fell to quiet sobbing as her hair fell in front of her face. Lucy slowly stood up from her chair and began to walk around the table towards Yuka.

"Yuka," Lucy said softly as she got close, "please believe me…I never meant for any of this to happen, I never meant to hurt Kouta or this family. I'm so very sorry…I would do anything to…"

Lucy's body experienced a spasm as a strange sensation went through her. Her mind felt scrambled and she felt momentarily confused. It was at that moment that she noticed a strange device in Yuka's lap. Her hands were fisted around it.

"You…" Yuka growled as she stood up, gripping the device in her hand, "ARE NOT MY FAMILY!"

Yuka thrust her arm forward, and Lucy, still feeling confused, could not stop her. Pain wracked her body as Yuka slammed the stungun upon where her neck met her shoulder. Lucy felt herself falling to the floor moments before she blacked out.

* * *

><p>"You found him!" Mayu exclaimed happily.<p>

She had been on her way to meet up with Nana and Daisuke but had been sidetracked by the sound of barking from somewhere in the hospital. It has sounded so much like Wanta that she had immediately gone to see if it was indeed her lost dog. As the soldier who was holding him, lowered Wanta into her arms, she almost couldn't believe he was here. She hugged Wanta against her happily as he licked her face enthusiastically.

"Thank you so much!" she told the smiling soldier before her, "how did you find him?"

"He was just kind of wandering around. He was scratching at the back entrance where we've got our trucks parked. Wasn't sure why he was trying to get back there, but I guess he's an outside dog?"

"He is."

"Well, nature was probably calling and he likely needed to be walked or something. He was still wearing his leash so I tied him on a door handle for a moment while I checked out there."

The soldier chuckled then, "he would have gotten an eyeful had he gotten out there, that's for sure."

"Huh?"

"What? Oh…uh…nothing. Anyway, I was about to find him some food and start asking if he belonged to anyone. I'm glad things worked out."

"Thank you again," Mayu said, "you have no idea what this means to me. I thought he was gone forever."

The soldier smiled sadly then, "yeah, I've been hearing a lot of that over the past few hours. Lot of missing loved ones, and you hear the same sad stories around here. I'm glad at least someone found who they were looking for."

He nodded towards her, then walked down the hall alone. Mayu turned back to the happy dog in her arms and smiled.

"I'm happy to see you too," she said, "I wonder if you DID have to go outside?"

She huffed in minor annoyance, "if that soldier thought that, why didn't he just walk you? You must have to go so bad. Come on, I'll take you for a walk."

She placed Wanta on the floor and took his leash in her hand. She repositioned the bag she wore around her shoulder and began to walk down the hall. That back entrance had to be around here somewhere.

* * *

><p>Yuka looked down in numb shock at Lucy's unconscious form, hardly believing what she had just done. She felt like she was dreaming, or having a nightmare. It was like she was having an out of body experience, because it certainly couldn't have been her that attacked another person so viciously and rendered them unconscious like this. She couldn't believe this was real.<p>

A clattering sound shocked her back to reality, and she realized the sound came from the stungun that had slipped out of her hand and onto the floor. She quickly bent down and retrieved it, stopping just before she stood back up to look at Lucy. She was at the fringes of consciousness, not quite passed out but not really conscious either. She moaned occasionally and it made Yuka feel sick to her stomach.

"God damn," she heard an amused voice behind her, Yuji, "even we never gave em that much juice from our own stun weapons. And I'm sure Westmore's toys pack a bigger punch than our shit."

Yuka whirled around, feeling like she had been caught at some terrible crime. It took a moment for her to remember that this was her coconspirator, and an even longer moment to remember that she did, in fact, commit a crime here. There was no turning back now.

Yuji chuckled, "so how did it feel?"

"W…What?"

"You know, to take a little bit back for yourself? It's what you wanted right? How was it?"

It wasn't what she had expected. Now that it was done, she just felt sick and awful. Her hands shook, which didn't go unnoticed by Yuji, who simply chuckled again. He reached behind him and pulled out a ring of ziptie cuffs, and a device that looked like a hi-tech crown to be worn on the head. This crown, he handed to Yuka.

"Put that over her head and press the two red buttons at either side."

"What…does it…do?"

"Emits a short range pulse that will keep her from using those fuckin hands of hers," he said while tying Lucy's hands behind her back, "now do it."

"I…"

"I thought we had a deal," he said dangerously, "and you're a part of this now. So do it!"

"A…Alright."

She knelt down and fastened the device on Lucy's head, pressing the buttons. She yelped in surprise as she heard a sharp metallic sound, and two small trickles of blood began crawling down Lucy's head. Yuka stood up quickly once she was finished, hoping beyond hope that Yuji wouldn't ask her to do anything else.

"So…that's it…we're done," Yuka said, "just…get rid of her. We'll never speak of thi…"

"Wait wait wait," Yuji said, cutting her off, "you don't think you're just going to walk away without helping me get her outside do you? Do you think I'm fucking stupid? So what, I'm just supposed to drag her down the hall by myself so you can go get soldiers to cut me off and claim this was all my idea?"

"That doesn't even make sense! When she woke up she'd tell them what I'd done too!"

"You listen to me bitch," he snarled, "like it or not, we are in this shit together and you're not out until it's fucking DONE. How about this, if you don't help me right now, I'm walking away from this and I'LL report you to the men. Like you said, YOU attacked Lucy, not me. You can try to cry rape after all that, but you and I both know that's going to look a lot like you're lying to direct attention away from the fact that you just assaulted their ace in the hole against Westmore. Your move."

With a sickening horror, she realized that he was right. She was now in too deep. The moment she had attacked Lucy, she had entered a point of no return. She couldn't walk away now, as much as she desperately wanted to.

"That's what I fucking thought," Yuji spat, "now grab her legs."

She complied, dread twisting a painful knot in her stomach. This couldn't be happening. This just couldn't be happening.

The next few minutes happened as if though in a dream. They carried Lucy's unconscious body through the empty hallways, sneaking around as Yuji peered around corners to ensure the coast was clear. It wasn't a long walk to the back entrance, but it felt like a thousand miles to Yuka who made the entire walk with fear spiking through her. Her heart hammered crazily in her chest and she still couldn't believe she was skulking through the halls with a woman she'd rendered unconscious with the help of a man who had tried to rape her not long ago. Yuka knew she was delivering Lucy to her death. That she wouldn't see it happen made no difference. At the time the plan had been devised, Yuka had let herself believe that because she wasn't going to be the one pulling the trigger, it wouldn't really be her killing Lucy. She had even convinced herself for a time that Lucy wasn't really going to die. But Yuka knew now, that she was killing her. With every step they took, she was killing Lucy. She was a murderer. No better than those who would eventually take Lucy's life.

Only now, did she think of Kouta. Of what Lucy's absence would do to him. Only now, were Lucy's words sinking in. Only now, could she let herself accept the fact that Lucy was right. That Kouta was right about her. And how wrong she had been. About everything.

"I'm so sorry…" Yuka begin to wail, quietly to herself, as tears crawled down her face, "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

"Would you shut the fuck up?" Yuji snapped, peering around another corner, "…alright, we're clear. There's the door, let's get the bitch outside and into one of the transport modules."

They crossed the hall and loudly shoved open one of the double doors leading to the outside. They were now in a stairwell that looked like emergency stairs, and just past it, was a second set of double doors with two square windows that led to the outside. As the doors behind them slammed shut, Yuka felt Lucy stir and heard a groan come from her lips. Yuka dropped her feet and covered her mouth with her hands as she saw Lucy's eyes begin to open.

"The fuck are you doing?" Yuji snapped.

Lucy looked around numbly, before her gaze settled on Yuka.

"W…what…" she said weakly, "what's…going on…?"

Yuka stood, paralyzed.

"Get her goddamn legs!" Yuji said.

"I…I can't…"

Yuji braced Lucy against his leg, grabbing a fistful of her hair to keep her upright, then pulled the pistol from his holster.

"You will, or I'll put one in your face right here."

"You can't," Yuka said meekly, "the other soldiers…they'll…"

"You think I give a fuck right now? Try me. Go ahead and try to walk out that door."

Yuka shook with fear and shame as she suddenly locked eyes with Lucy, unable to look away. She saw understanding of what was happening fill Lucy's eyes and Yuka felt like she might throw up. A clicking sound reverberated around the room as Yuji pulled the hammer back on his pistol.

"Yuka…" Lucy said softly, "do it. Do as he says."

Yuka sobbed quietly as she bent down and once again, grabbed Lucy's legs. She wanted to die.

"It's…ok," Lucy said. Yuka shook her head as they began to move again towards the outer door.

"Don't worry," Yuji said, "it's almost over. Once she's in the truck, you're out and we're done."

He tilted his head down towards Lucy, "but for you bitch? It's only just begun."

"Go…fuck…yourself," Lucy said weakly.

They opened the door and the cold air rushed at them unforgivingly. Rain fell lightly outside and once they left the overhang, it began to coat them all. The rain and the cold wind made Yuka shiver, but she knew it wasn't just the cold or the rain.

She looked desperately at Lucy, wanting her to somehow free herself, make all of this stop. She wanted her to realize that Yuka understood what Lucy had been trying to say. Her mind had been so hate clouded and filled with thoughts of vengeance that she hadn't thought of anything else. As they approached the waiting truck with the transport module, Yuka felt like she was living in a nightmare and couldn't imagine how it could get any worse than this.

"The fuck!" he heard Yuji exclaim, as he dropped Lucy's body to the ground, his attention focused on something to the side.

As Yuka turned to look towards where he was staring she realized she was wrong. It could get worse…and it just did.

* * *

><p>"What's…going…on?" Mayu said meekly as she stared disbelievingly at the scene before her, Wanta at her side, growling protectively.<p>

It was Yuka and the strange, creepy soldier from before. They were carrying Lucy between them towards what Mayu had understood to be a transport module for Diclonius. Lucy's hands were bound and she looked disoriented. Mayu blinked, wondering when she'd wake up from this strange dream.

"The fuck!" the soldier exclaimed, dropping Lucy. Mayu took a step backward in shock and Wanta barked at them.

"Mayu!" Yuka exclaimed, also letting Lucy's legs drop.

"Yuka…why are you…?"

The soldier suddenly exploded into motion, surging towards Yuka and grabbing her by the arms. Yuka screamed as he shoved her towards Mayu and swung the assault rifle he had been carrying on his back, around in his hands. He lifted the weapon towards the group and took a step away from Lucy, covering them all.

"Well well," the soldier said nastily, "isn't this an unexpected turn of events?"

"Let them go," Lucy said, rolling around on the ground to face him, "it's me you want, just let them walk. Please…"

"Shut up!" he screamed. A roar of thunder sounded overhead as the rain began to pick up. Darkness crept in around them, barely fended off by the floodlight that was illuminating the back area of the hospital.

He smiled when she said nothing more, "that's my girl…"

That's my girl….

That's my girl…

"_That's my girl…"_

"_I…I DON'T WANNA DO IT ANYMORE!"_

No…

No…it couldn't be…this couldn't be real…he couldn't be real…

But then he looked at her…and she knew…

Years of fear, pain, dread, and shame came roaring back like a tidal wave slamming into her with impossible force.

Now she remembered why he seemed so familiar, and realized also why she hadn't recognized him immediately. Memories of pain had left her with an image of him that was filthy and almost demonic in its ugliness. But in reality, his face was rather common and quite forgettable. Just another face in the crowd. Except now she could see the ugliness as she could before.

Here…was Yuji. Her awful, rapist stepfather. Here, in the flesh, standing right before her. He was an Institute soldier. Had always been an Institute soldier.

She dimly wondered now if part of the reason her mother had been unwilling to listen to Mayu's cries for help, were out of fear of retaliation from a man whose organization would have made sure he never saw jail time.

"Remember me now, don't you girl?" he said darkly, staring at Mayu, "I was afraid you'd recognized me before, but then I realized after our eyes met a few times that you didn't. You probably don't remember those times. I was just another soldier in the crowd to you wasn't I?"

Mayu was too shocked to reply, and too much in shock to shiver at the cold from the rain that crawled down her face and began to soak through her clothes.

"You…" Mayu said faintly, "you…were…"

"I knew it was only a matter of time though," he continued, "you'd remember, then you'd throw a fucking fit and get me in it with the men who now seem to have suddenly developed a goddamn conscience. Ryota would have dismissed me at the least, jailed me at the worst, and all on your word just because you're in with Bando and those other motherfuckers."

"You'd have deserved it," Mayu said angrily, finally finding her voice, "you…FUCKING…pig!"

"Got a mouth on you now it seems, but then you always did, didn't you?"

Mayu felt her gorge rise at the sudden, vile memories his comment brought forth. She saw Yuka look up towards her from the ground, understanding at last.

"Oh my god," she said, "he's…your stepfather?"

"And it sounds like that mouth got pretty damn big too," Yuji went on, "can't seem to keep it shut."

"Fuck you, you son of a bitch," Mayu said, hating him. She wanted nothing more than to kill him right then and there, but there was nothing she could do. Just like before. If she tried, he would just shoot her, along with Yuka. Then he'd just take Lucy with him in that truck to wherever it was he was planning to go.

Yuji laughed, "can't believe my luck right now, I thought I was going to have to leave without tying up this loose end. Now, I can tie up all three of them. Right here."

"What are you talking about?" Yuka asked.

"I never intended on letting you go," Yuji said to her, "as soon as I had the bitch loaded up, I was just going to cap you right out here, get in this truck, and drive over to Westmore's encampment. I've wanted out of this place for a while now, and I figure giving them Lucy will be a great way to join the team that's obviously the winning one. They outnumber Ryota and have him, and us, huddled in this fucking hospital like rats waiting for the exterminator to sweep in and snuff us out. That's not going to be me. I'm abandoning this sinking ship."

"Like a rat," Lucy said from the ground. Yuji's face screwed up in anger and he kicked her in the stomach. Lucy made a sickening grunt and Mayu flinched, dropping Wanta's leash.

Yuji looked up, training his weapon on Yuka and Mayu, "now I get to kill you both before I leave, and wrap this up."

He looked at Mayu and smiled smugly, "goodbye darlin'."

"NO!" Yuka and Lucy screamed as Yuji pointed the rifle at Mayu. His momentary distraction at the shouting, caused him to miss the small dog that had been running at Yuji's leg when Mayu had let go of the leash.

Wanta growled, and bit deeply into Yuji's leg, causing his aim to falter. He fired two shots that went wide.

"Fuck!" he screamed, kicking Wanta off of him violently. The dog yelped as he hit the ground and rolled a few times. It was enough of a distraction for Lucy to twist her body, and kick out with both feet at Yuji's groin. She connected solidly, causing him to drop his gun. Her next kick knocked Yuji over onto the ground just out of her reach. Yuji recovered quickly, going for his sidearm, murderous intent in his eyes as he looked upon Lucy.

"NO DON'T!" Yuka cried as she hauled herself up from the ground and threw herself over Lucy just as his gun went off twice. Yuka screamed in pain as the bullets entered her back. Yuji aimed his gun at Yuka's head for the kill, but Wanta renewed his attack, biting down on Yuji's gun hand.

"Damnit you FUCKING DOG!" he said, flinging him off as Mayu was using the distraction to reach inside the bag she carried.

As she retrieved her pistol from that bag, she looked up in horror to see Yuji pointing his gun at Wanta.

"NNOOOOO!" Mayu screamed.

Yuji pulled the trigger. There was a sharp report, a yelp of pain, then silence. Thunder sounded overhead as all parties froze. Yuji on the ground, Yuka covering Lucy with her body…

…and Wanta lying dead upon the ground, blood pooling out from his small body, which washed slowly away with the rain. Pain ripped through Mayu at the sight of Wanta's bleeding body on the ground. Pain lanced deep inside of her, and rage twisted violently within her.

"NNOOOOOO!" Mayu screamed again, getting Yuji's attention. Fear passed across his eyes as he found himself lying prone, staring down the barrel of Mayu's gun.

"You bastard!" Mayu screamed, taking small steps towards him, her gun pointed at his head, "you goddamn fucking bastard! You killed him!"

"Wait…Mayu…just…just wait…"

No control, blood in her vision, hate in her soul. Twisting…breaking…

"You killed him! You killed Wanta! You shot Yuka! You were going to kill us!"

"Mayu I'm…"

Thunder overhead. Slicing rain but she couldn't feel the cold. Edges fraying, poison in her blood, in her heart. She wanted to kill him. For everything he had ever done to her…

"YOU HURT ME! YOU RAPED ME! YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"

"Mayu please stop!"

For all the shame, fear, and pain. For killing Wanta…

At long last, he was going to see. She was not the same girl he had left broken and afraid. Now…he would see…

Now…he would pay his debt to her…

"DIE! DIE YOU SON OF A BITCH! JUST DIE!"

She started screaming. And then she started pulling the trigger. The gunshots were like thunder in her ears, drowning out her screams as the bullets ripped Yuji's flesh apart. The first shot splintered his jaw apart like glass and the next two had gone through his throat. He'd dropped the gun by now as the next two bullets missed him and hit the concrete.

He was already convulsing by the time Mayu's next few bullets blasted his cheek open, and the final few passed through his skull, spraying blood and skull fragments across the ground. As the last bullet fired, a loud explosion of thunder rocked overhead.

The sounds of the thunder, and gunshots, faded into the streets and alleyways of the city around them, leaving behind a terrible silence, broken only by the rain, Mayu's heavy breathing through clenched teeth, and the rhythmic clicking sound of Mayu still pulling the trigger of her gun. The gun trembled in her hand as she slowly stopped trying to pull the trigger and began to really see what she had just done.

Yuji was dead. His face a ghastly butchered mess, unrecognizable as ever being human.

Mayu felt something deep inside of her die away. This hasn't been the first time she'd killed someone, but this was different. This hadn't been in immediate defense of others, or in self-defense. She'd had him dead to rights and he had been powerless to fight back. He was even begging her. She could have waited for soldiers to come and arrest him, but that long buried pain pushed her over the edge and out of control. She hadn't want him arrested. She'd wanted him to pay.

So she'd killed him, in cold blood.

She had finally, at long last, gotten her revenge on the man who had so tormented her. Mayu knew, however, that it had come with a cost. She didn't know yet how this was going to change her, but she knew deep down, that a part of her had just died with Yuji.

The gun fell from her hands and she numbly sank to her knees, eyes unfocused and staring.

"What…have…I done?" she whispered.

"Saved…us," came Lucy's voice from the ground next to her, "you saved us…Mayu. You saved our lives…that's what you did."

Mayu's head rolled lazily to look towards Lucy and Yuka. Numbly, she processed the scene before her. Lucy lying bound and defenseless on the ground, with Yuka atop her, barely moving. Two gunshot wounds in her back. Her breathing was labored and she shivered in pain, and from cold.

She slowly looked over to Wanta's body, and she felt the tears coming again.

"Wanta…" she wailed quietly. All she'd wanted to do was take him for a little walk outside. He looked so unhappy with being cooped up in that hospital. Why did she have to take him here? Why did he have to die?

"Mayu," came Lucy's voice, "please…I…can't move, and Yuka's hurt."

Yuka, carrying Lucy outside with Yuji.

Mayu stood up slowly and looked over at Yuka, who had lost her balance on Lucy and rolled over onto her back. She cried in pain as her wounds pressed against the concrete.

Yuka…helping Yuji…

Mayu took slow, deliberate steps towards Yuka who didn't seem to notice her approach right away. Yuka's focus returned once Mayu was standing over her, at her feet. Mayu stared coldly at Yuka, who could only stare back in silence. Rain lashed down upon them as the silence stretched.

"Why?" Mayu said icily.

"Mayu no," came Lucy's voice, "he forced her. She walked in on him attacking me. I…was careless. Didn't see it coming. He stunned me and put me in this thing and kept threatening to kill her if she didn't help him. Said he'd make her disappear and no one would ever find out what happened to her."

Yuka's eyes were wide with shock and a measure of disbelief, but Mayu wasn't quite sure where that was coming from. Unable to read her, she instead looked at Lucy who was giving her a pleading look.

"Mayu, she saved my life. She could be dying right now, you have to…"

And just like that, she snapped out of her rage induced shock. She believed Lucy, or at least wanted to believe her. Besides, she couldn't imagine really why Yuka would have tried to hurt Lucy. Now, the only things that mattered were that people she cared about were hurt and needed her help. She hung onto that fiercely, so she wouldn't have to think about what she had just done. Time enough for that later…

Mayu had just released Lucy from the vector nullifier, and untied her hands, when there was a loud sound at the door. Three soldiers burst through with weapons drawn.

"Hands up! All of you put your hands…holy shit!"

"That's the Diclonius, Lucy."

One of the soldiers motioned to Lucy, "what the hell is going on out…"

"Please!" Lucy said, getting to her feet, "she's hurt! She's been shot, call it in, do something!"

One of the soldiers had already been getting on his radio and began speaking.

"Command, we have a situation out by the trucks. Shots fired and a man down, with others wounded. Several civilians involved…including one of the Diclonius."

Then a familiar voice replying back.

"This is Bando, responding to the situation. Any nearby units, get there ahead of me and take medical personal with you. Get those civilians somewhere safe. Is Lucy hurt?"

"She…doesn't appear to be. How do you know it's Lucy we have out here?"

"I knew where Nana was, that's why."

Bando…Mayu wanted to rush and grab the radio out of the man's hands. She wanted to scream at Bando to hurry up and take her away from this, shelter her from what she had done, make it go away, make it not real…anything.

She numbly allowed herself to be led away from the scene, and watched as medical personal came through the door along with other soldiers. They gathered Yuka up, who moaned in agony, and placed her on a stretcher, leading her back into the hospital.

Lucy followed, but not before looking towards Mayu, offering her a somber look of understanding. A look of knowing what it was like to kill in cold blood, and what it cost a person to do so.

She took one last look at Yuji's corpse, which was being stuffed into a body bag by some of the other soldiers. Anger burned through her feelings of disgust at remembering the pain he had put her through, and the pain he had just caused them now.

"Burn in hell," she whispered angrily. She turned away at a soldier's urging and let herself be led back into the hospital, out of the rain.

* * *

><p>Bando walked hurriedly down the hall towards where he had been told they'd taken Mayu. He didn't know exactly how things were changing as far as Institute policy, but if he walked into an interrogation, someone was going to walk out with broken teeth.<p>

He turned the corner and saw a soldier walking out of the room Mayu was being kept in. Bando reminded himself for the fiftieth time that he was going to ask nicely what they have been doing with her. He would ask nicely first. Then he would punch someone's lights out.

"You!" Bando shouted, "what the FUCK is going on in there?"

Well, he tried.

"Hold fire Kimura," the soldier said, putting his hands up, "she's alright, just shaken…"

"What the hell happened? I swear, if she's been interrogated like a prisoner…"

"Bando," the soldier said, raising his voice, "that didn't happen. I'm the only one who asked her anything and that was because I had a bad feeling about something that I needed her to confirm. She's not in any trouble with us. She's been asking for you, but you need to get a goddamn grip before you go in there."

Bando just stared, a grudging respect for the man forming, "what's your name soldier?"

"Tenchi, sir. I've been looking in on Mayu and Nana occasionally. They know me."

"What happened out there Tenchi?"

"She killed a defector. Guy blindsided the Diclonius Lucy, and figured he was just going to walk out of here with her. He'd apparently planned to use her as a bargaining chip to get in with Westmore's troops, but one of the civilians, woman called Yuka, walked in on the scene. He got them both out by the back door, but apparently Mayu was out there walking her dog. Just the wrong place at the right time. There was a struggle after that. Yuka was wounded, and Mayu shot the guy. She was in shock when we got out there."

"Christ," Bando exclaimed, running a hand through his hair, "so what did you need to confirm?"

"Earlier I saw one of the soldiers acting strangely around her. I thought we had a spook on our hands. At least he wasn't a spy, but Bando…it was an ugly scene out there. I think he almost got away with it. And his face...Bando…I don't know who that man was to Mayu. She didn't say, but it was obviously personal. She emptied a whole 9mm clip into his face. If you're calmed down now, you need to get in there."

Bando nodded, "alright Tenchi…thank you."

"No sweat Bando," he said, clapping his arm, then walking away.

Bando stepped forward, placed his hand on the door handle, took a deep breath, then opened the door.

She sat there, trembling slightly in her rain soaked clothes, a blanket over her shoulders. Her hands trembled worse and she stared straight ahead without seeing. She looked miserable and in the throes of such mental anguish that it seemed to steal the light from her eyes. The sight of her pierced Bando's heart like a knife. He quietly closed the door and walked slowly towards her.

"Mayu," he said softly, "Mayu sweetheart…it's me."

He saw her mouth his name silently, but she didn't look at him. Her eyes remained wide, and staring. Like she was still in shock.

"Mayu…" he tried to stand in front of her, but almost as though with a reflex, she turned her head away from him. He sighed sadly, knowing what she was going through. Knowing too well.

He looked over and located a chair that was next to the bed she was sitting upon. He reached over and dragged it close to him, then sat down next to her. He leaned over, resting his forearms on his knees and just stared straight ahead with her, letting the silence stretch for a while.

"Think I was about sixteen," he said, "the first time I murdered someone."

He sighed slowly, "I say murdered, and not killed because there's a difference there. You can kill people for lots of reasons. Because you have to, to protect yourself, others, whatever. You murder someone for only one reason."

He turned his head towards her, not quite looking at her, "you do it, because you want to. There are lots of reasons why you would want to murder a person, but it all comes down to wanting them dead."

Bando faced forward again, loosely hooking his hands together by his fingers, "guy I'm talking about, was some fucking shithead named Keiichi. I hadn't been on the street very long. I'd only just run away not long before and was just finding out how hard life could be when you didn't know where your next meal or bed was going to be. I was running with this other kid, mostly because I got tired of being alone, but I'd have been damned if that meant I ran back home. We got into our share of trouble. Even had to fight our way out of a situation or two. Had to hide a few bodies once or twice. Really fucked me up back then and I couldn't sleep for a long time because I couldn't stop thinking about it. But it was different then. We did what we had to do to survive."

Bando leaned back in his chair, "Hiro was his name. Good kid, and I'd considered him a friend. Really, the first one I'd ever had. Father used to beat on him something fierce, which was why he was running with me. He used to tell me about it. I…used to lie to him about Ryota. Told him he was doing the same shit, mostly because I felt guilty as hell when he'd talk. I felt like I didn't have a right being out there when Ryota never laid a hand on me. I just felt like more of a bastard when he'd tell me he understood and felt sorry for me. After that, I felt like I owed it to him to watch his back. He was the one who needed it…hell…deserved it more than I did."

"What…happened?" he heard Mayu say. He felt elated that she was talking, but it was tempered with the memory of what he was telling her.

"Picked the wrong shell to sleep in that night. When I say "shell" I mean like…an abandoned house, apartment, whatever. Some place we thought we wouldn't be bothered. It was dark, so we never saw the gang tags. Didn't know we'd wandered into some place we shouldn't have, but we found out when Keiichi, and these two guys, kicked us awake. Told us we'd fucked up and that we were gonna die for it. Hiro, he was quicker than me. Snatched a two by four and bashed one of the assholes over the head with it. Hiro hit the guy pretty hard and I was never sure if he'd killed the guy, or just knocked him out. Anyway, we both got up, but the other guy grabbed me, and Keiichi took out a gun and shot Hiro in the back. That's how I figured out the guy's name, because the man who had me yelled at him. Called him by name, told him he was gonna bring the cops down on them."

Bando closed his eyes, "he didn't listen though. He did, however, put his gun in his pants, then pick up that two by four. Hiro was still alive, trying to crawl away. Keiichi just started hitting him. Started with his legs and just worked him over for like…ten minutes. Hiro screamed the whole time…and I guess I was too."

Bando felt Mayu's fingers through his hair, then rest on his shoulder. He chanced a look towards her and saw her eyes closed. Silent tears crawling down her face. Bando continued.

"I guess he got tired of hitting Hiro after a time. He reared back that board, then just cracked Hiro over the skull with it. Saw him kick out once and then he just stopped moving. Just like that, my first friend was dead. I blamed myself. I was the one who chose the place. I felt like I'd gotten my friend killed…"

"Bando…" Mayu whispered.

"Well, I guess the guy holding me lost the stomach for it. Especially once he heard the sound of tires on gravel and saw car headlights. Guy let me go and bolted. Keiichi started to run too, but I'd already decided ten minutes ago that he wasn't getting out alive if I had the chance. Well, I got the chance. I tackled that motherfucker to the ground, and the gun fell out of his pants. Bashed his fucking face in a few times, then rolled off him and got that gun off the ground. There we were. He was on the ground, and I had him right there, dead to rights. He was done, powerless. The asshole actually had the fucking audacity to beg me not to kill him."

Bando shook his head, "I hated him like I'd hated my father. This asshole took someone else from me I cared about. So I put the gun in his mouth. I told him to start begging. He tried, but it's hard to talk with a gun in your mouth. He cried a lot, and that shit was goddamn satisfying. Wasn't enough though. I wanted him to die. So I pulled that trigger. Blew his shit eating brains out all over the floor."

Bando chuckled, "the car? Was just passing by on the road. Wasn't a cop, wasn't even some curious person. Just someone driving by the house. It drove away, and Keiichi's chicken shit friend was long gone by then. It was just me, alone with two, maybe three dead bodies. And that was the point at the end. I was alone. Killing Keiichi didn't fix that. Hiro sure didn't care that I did it. He was already gone. After that, I didn't sleep for three days and when I did sleep, I had nightmares about what I had done."

Bando rose from his chair and stood before Mayu. He reached for her face and gently lifted it to face him. There was emotion in her gaze now, not the hollow shock from before.

"What you lose when you do that…you can't ever get it back," he said, "someone makes you angry enough, your mind goes to that place. You think about snuffing their life out, even if it's just for a second, but for the rest of your life, your mind will go there, no matter how hard you fight it. Like a voice in your head that just says 'kill'. You're going to spend your life fighting that voice. I eventually took Ryota's offer to join the Institute because I got tired of fighting that voice. At least as a soldier, I wouldn't have to fight it. I could just let it sweep me along and that would be ok, because my job was to kill."

He shook his head, "but you're stronger than I was back then. I wasn't able to win that fight, but I know you Mayu. You can, and you will."

Fresh tears spilled down Mayu's face.

"Mayu," he said quietly, "who was he?"

She drew a shuddering breath and let it out in a sob, "my stepfather."

Searing rage thundered through Bando for a few moments. He shut his eyes and ruthlessly forced the feelings down.

"Bastard…" he said.

"I wanted to kill him," Mayu cried raggedly, "I wanted to kill him so bad Bando…I w…wanted t-to kill him s-s…so bad…oh god…Bando…"

She fell to crying in ragged sobs, as Bando gently pulled her off of the bed and wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she sobbed into his shoulder, her arms around his neck holding on so tightly it hurt.

"It's ok baby…I've got you."

"Oh god…oh god oh god oh god…"

"It's alright," he whispered, "you're going to be alright."

She cried harder and clutched him to her as if her life depended on it. She cried his name in between heart tearing sobs and Bando fought back his own tears as he held her. In that moment, as far as Bando was concerned, there was no war, no Red Sky, no Angel, nothing out there existed or mattered more to him than easing Mayu's anguished heart.

* * *

><p>Yuka's eyes opened slowly. She hadn't really been sleeping, but had been knocked out by the drugs just long enough for the doctors to remove the bullets from her back. She still felt the pain of the wounds acutely, but not as much as the shame of what she'd done burned inside of her.<p>

So much pain…and it was all her fault.

Because of her, Mayu had to kill someone, and Wanta was dead. And what if she hadn't been there? Yuka would have been murdered and Lucy not long after. She let out a quiet wail of anguish. She didn't think she could ever face Kouta again. Not after this. She couldn't believe what she had done. This was all her fault…

She felt a hand over hers, shortly after she'd let out her anguished wail. She turned towards the person reluctantly, expecting to see Kouta's face, and felt fear at him seeing the shame in her eyes.

She instead, found herself looking into Lucy's eyes.

She couldn't speak for a moment, but only stared wordlessly at the woman she had attacked and nearly betrayed to that terrible man. Lucy had had every reason to expose Yuka for what she'd done. She'd had every right. But Lucy had lied for her. Lied for her because she knew Yuka had been sorry for what she'd done. Sorry enough to take a bullet for the woman she'd thought she hated.

Lied for her…despite her terrible crime…so that she could have a second chance.

And then…she understood. At last...she understood how Kouta could love her. She understood why they chose to keep what had happened a secret. Tears gathered in Yuka's eyes.

"Lucy…" she said mournfully.

"I know," was all she said.

Yuka wanted to tell her that she understood. That she could forgive Lucy now, the same way Kouta had. Yuka wanted to tell her all of these things, but didn't know what to say or how to start.

"Lucy…I…I don't know what…" she began again in a voice thick with tears.

"I know," Lucy said again, interrupting her. And Yuka realized that she really, truly did know. Yuka didn't have to explain a thing to Lucy.

"I'm sorry…" Yuka cried softly.

"I'm sorry too," Lucy said.

Yuka believed her. Really believed her.

"I know," Yuka replied.

They sat there quietly together, understanding one another at last. There were no more words between them. All that mattered, had already been said.


	44. Silence Before the Storm

**This chapter, for some reason, took a long time in working out even though it's relatively short compared to most. It's been a turbulent ****last few months for me, and I found myself with some rather awful writers block. I'd like to think that now, I have a pretty decent platform to get the ending chapters rolling, but with school starting soon, that might be difficult to make time for. As always though, I'll stay on this, if for no other reason than it is therapeutic to do this. **

**Anyway, I could not remember if I had given Kouta a surname in the past, but in this chapter I have him as Sakamoto. ****I feel like I've done this once before though, in a previous chapter, so if I did, please correct me (and tell me where the inconsistency lies) and I'll make the necessary changes**. **Anyway, happy new year !  
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* * *

><p>The cafeteria was quiet like a tomb, despite being filled with people. Soldiers filled the area but there was sparse radio chatter. Kouta stood among them, feeling the myriad of emotions filling the room. Anticipation, fear, anxiety. A sense of readiness, of men straining against a leash. Waiting to be let loose. No so much because they were eager to begin fighting, but simply to do something, anything, to dispel the awful feeling of waiting.<p>

Kouta felt these emotions along with them. He too, felt a sense of dread at all of this beginning. That the worst, was finally coming.

He felt someone give his hand a quick squeeze. Lucy, standing with him. His silent sentinel. She offered him a small, brave smile. As if trying to assure him without words, that everything was going to be alright. Coming from her, he could almost believe it. She couldn't quite get that haunted look out of her eyes, and he knew it was more than the prospect of imminent violence. What had taken place at the loading area of the hospital, was still fresh in both their minds.

Kouta had rushed to Yuka's room the moment he'd heard what happened. That she had been shot by a defecting soldier while protecting Lucy. He would have gone to see Mayu first, but he'd heard the man called Bando, who he still had managed to not meet yet, was with her. When he'd reached Yuka's hospital room, he'd walked into a scene he wasn't sure he understood. Lucy had been there, sitting with her. Yuka's hand gripping Lucy's as they sat silently together. He'd stood in shocked silence for a moment before slowly closing the door.

Lucy had stood up, looking once towards Yuka, then towards Kouta. Yuka also looked towards him. It was a silent, tense moment. A moment when words escaped all of them.

"_Are you ok?"_ Kouta asked, not really knowing what else to say, or who he was really saying it to, but knowing that someone had to start talking.

"_I'm fine,"_ Yuka said, "still hurts though."

Kouta nodded, as though he understood what being shot was like. He felt instantly like a fool for doing it.

"_I'm glad you're alright."_

Yuka tried to smile then, but couldn't quite hold it. Kouta burned to ask what had happened. Why he had left them in an empty cafeteria room, and how they had ended up outside in the pouring rain, wounded and filled with anguish. He'd heard a short version of it from Takashi, but Kouta knew there was more to it than that.

"_Lucy…"_

"_I wasn't hurt Kouta,"_ she said, _"just some bruises, but nothing serious."_

After another tense moment of silence, Lucy gave Yuka a long look, then walked towards the door, stopping a moment to rest a hand on Kouta's shoulder.

"_Find me later."_

"_I will."_

She nodded, offered him a smile which faded far too quickly, then left the room. As the door softly clicked shut, Kouta walked towards Yuka's bed, and sat down where Lucy had been sitting before. Yuka merely stared at him, her head tilted, and her hair falling over her face. She made no effort to move it. Kouta still burned to ask what had happened, but the words caught in his throat. He couldn't quite make himself speak the words. Yuka stared deeply into his eyes for a long moment, before a tear began crawling down her cheek.

"_I tried to kill her,"_ she whispered. Nakedly, honestly, brutally, and without hope of forgiveness.

Kouta stared. For a very brief moment, he considered wrapping his hands around her throat. He closed his eyes and ruthlessly fought back those feelings of anger. He forced himself to remember that there was a reason she was telling him the truth. There was a reason Lucy had been in this room, Yuka's hand in hers.

"_I made a terrible mistake," _she said in a quiet voice, _"I'm so sorry…"_

Kouta opened his eyes and saw Yuka's face contorted in anguished misery, and shame. She looked desolate and alone. The pain he'd always seen behind her eyes, was now all over her. She shivered with it, caught in its awful grasp. Tears streamed down her face but she was silent, though she shook with soundless sobs.

"_I wish he had killed me,"_ she continued, _"I deserve it, for what I've done. I wish I were dead…"_

Kouta reached out and took her hand, all anger utterly forgotten. Yuka grasped his tightly, painfully.

"_No Yuka," _he said, _"don't…"_

"_I know you can't forgive me. But…I want you to know that I forgive her. I want you to know that I understand why. Why she's here. Why you love her."_

Kouta shook his head and closed his eyes again.

"_If you understand,"_ he said, _"then you know that I can forgive you too."_

"_Can you?" _Yuka said, almost as though in challenge, _"that man was Mayu's stepfather."_

"_Jesus…"_

"_I didn't know," _she said quickly, _"but that's no excuse."_

Another silence stretched between them. Kouta opened his eyes to look at her. Yuka never broke her gaze from his face. It was almost like she was waiting to be judged; like she wanted to be. He hated seeing her like this. Her desolation and loneliness was agonizing to witness. With her defenses ripped away, pain poured out of her like a river. He'd never known this lived inside of her. He felt suddenly guilty. Yuka had given so much of herself, and had gotten so little in return. He couldn't imagine what being kept in the dark for so long would have done to him, if he'd been in her place. Lies haunted a person. Like a malevolent presence in the room that can't be seen. Only felt.

Kouta stood up and propped himself on her bed. He lifted her into a sitting position while she stared at him in confusion.

"_Kouta…what….?"_

Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her, and held her against him. Emotion welled up as he could feel her body trembling.

"_I'm sorry for all the lies," _Kouta said, _"for not telling you the truth. For keeping you in the dark. I'm sorry Yuka. You deserved better than that."_

She said nothing, but he felt her fingers rest upon his hips.

"_I didn't know what else to do,"_ Kouta continued, _"I didn't want to lose her, and I didn't want to lose all of you. I thought that telling you the truth would be like making a choice I didn't want to make. It was selfish of me, I know."_

"_Just…tell me one thing," _Yuka said in a whisper.

"_What?"_

"_Did you ever love me?"_

When he didn't answer right away, she pulled away enough to look into his eyes.

"_Did you ever want me? Like I wanted you?"_

He hesitated, as he decided how he wanted to answer her. Ultimately, however, he decided upon the truth. That was all there was time for now, in this room. In this moment.

"_Yes," _he said simply.

He could have told her that he had felt that way only because he hadn't yet remembered Lucy, but he didn't feel it was necessary to remind Yuka of something she knew only too well.

Yuka finally smiled, seemingly satisfied with his answer, and leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"_I can live with that,"_ she said, _"as long as I know that once upon a time, you meant it."_

He felt her take a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh.

"_She deserves you Kouta. She deserves the second chance you gave her. I want you to know that. I want you to know I don't hate her anymore. I need you to know I'm not standing in your way."_

Kouta shook his head, _"that's…not really what I want to know."_

She pulled back, looking confused.

"_Then what?"_

"_I need to know you're going to be ok."_

Yuka watched him silently for a moment before slowly releasing him and wiping her eyes dry.

"_I don't know what came over me. I didn't know I could be that person. Couldn't see what was happening to me."_

She forced a smile, and eased herself back down upon the bed. The relief on her face made Kouta feel guilty. It had clearly been causing Yuka pain to sit up that way.

"_I need to let go,"_ Yuka said, _"I can't go on this way. I feel like I don't know who I am anymore. Like I never knew."_

Yuka's smile faded as she watched him.

"_I love you Kouta. I'm sorry I let that love turn into something ugly. I wish I could take it all back."_

"_You have to learn to forgive yourself,"_ Kouta said quietly, _"and not think so much about what you should and shouldn't have done. What's done, is done. Where you go from here, is up to you, but you can't move forward if you keep looking back."_

Yuka smiled, a soft smile of understanding.

"_I bet you told the same thing to Lucy didn't you? You've probably talked to her like this before."_

"_I have…"_

"_Only you Kouta," _she said, _"only you could give hope to the hopeless. You've always been that way. That's why we love you. Why I…love you. I wanted that for myself. Felt entitled to you. But it was wrong to expect you to want me too. I guess I was pretty selfish."_

She gave his hand a quick squeeze, before releasing him.

"_You should go,"_ she said, _"I'll be fine. Someday soon, I will be. Lucy needs you. And you need her."_

"_Yuka…"_

"_Go," _she said, _"just go…"_

And so he had, wishing her a good night and turning out her light. As he now stood in the presence of Ryota and Erich's forces, he was glad that Yuka would get to sleep through this night. Anyone who would be able to do the same would be incredibly lucky.

Finding Lucy had not been difficult after he'd left Yuka's room. Most of the soldiers were converging upon this room and Kouta simply decided to follow them. Lucy had been waiting and joined him without comment or asking any questions. Now, she silently watched the gathering along with him. She lightly grasped his arm with her other hand and leaned upon him, resting her head against his. At her touch, he felt muscles unwind that he hadn't been aware were knotted up. Her presence swept through him like a calming wind.

Kouta had been slightly shocked upon finally seeing the man called Bando. Kouta recognized him from a year ago. He had been the man who had opened fire upon Lucy after she had decimated that military unit right in front of him. It was staggering to learn that this man, who had tried to kill Lucy, was the one Mayu, and others, had spoken so highly of. There was obviously more to his story than he knew, and Kouta hoped he could speak with the man after the briefing was over.

A quiet fell over the crowd as Ryota held up his hand, commanding silence. Kouta hadn't really registered the quiet commotion that had been going on that he'd thought was faint already, but now it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. He felt Lucy's grip on his arm tighten ever so slightly. She obviously noticed it too.

"Before I begin, I wish to say something," he began.

"All of you know the situation by now, but I will reiterate it once more now. We are a house divided. Westmore and his troops stand on one side, and we on the other. I feel it necessary to talk about what that means."

Ryota's eyes swept the room slowly before he went on.

"For so long, our collective mission has been the control of the Diclonius. You can easily see from the chaos of tonight, what comes of such thinking. Such thinking is what is driving Westmore to attempt the deployment of Red Sky. He believes it a method with which he can surgically regain control of the situation here. His secondary objective is the capture of the monster most of you know as Number 5, but others know as Angel.

Control," he said, his tone grave, "is the illusion that drives him. It is the delusion that makes him unable to see the truth of his weapon's sabotage. His reckless act, if left unchecked, will be the catalyst of our destruction as a species. This is no longer about the corporation, or its interests. This is about our survival. This is no longer a mission I, or the Directors, can task you with. This is one you must accept for yourselves, and those you wish to protect. As such, I cannot force you to fight with me. I can only ask. But before you answer, I wish you to hear the words of Doctor Arakawa, and Director Vanith."

Ryota stepped aside and motioned Arakawa forward. Kouta remembered when he first met Arakawa. She seemed a distracted, meek sort of personality. When they had found the corpse of Kakuzawa's son, she had been as frightened as he, but she had then immediately taken charge. It had been a spark of her inner strength. As he looked at her now, he couldn't help but notice her confident posture, her hard set eyes, and the air of authority around her. That spark was now a flame.

"My name is Doctor Akane Arakawa," she said, "and I was the engineer who designed Red Sky."

She paused to look around the room, much like Ryota. Kouta supposed she was observing the general reaction to telling the room she created such a terrible weapon.

"I was Director Kakuzawa's prisoner for nearly a year, and in that time I was forced to work on a weapon that would have been used in a doomsday scenario involving the Diclonius. That being a mass outbreak of infected individuals surrounding a number of unsecured Diclonii. You all know how it works, but the sabotage spoken of by Commander Ryota involves the compound that Kakuzawa replaced the original one with. I was also forced to work on a project which isolated the Diclonius gene found in their vectors, which transmits it from person to person. The chemical compound I was ordered to synthesize, created it in a form which could be used with Red Sky's delivery system. Kakuzawa switched the compounds before he died, and now, Westmore is going to put that into the sky without realizing what he's doing.

If he is allowed to succeed, and the vector strain is allowed to fall upon Kamakura, there will be no practical way to contain the spread of the vector strain. Within fifty to seventy years, it is very likely that we will see a worldwide contraction rate. Mankind will be wiped out mostly by breeding itself out of existence. Nearly all children will be born sterile, and not enough queens will be born to sustain the gene pool. The next generation will be the last one. We'll be extinct before the next century."

If her first statement hadn't gotten a reaction, that one most certainly did. Soldiers looked around at one another, whispering angrily or worriedly.

"Our greatest obstacle," Ryota said, speaking over the general clamor until it fell silent again, "will be in the man Westmore has chosen to act as commander of his forces. You know him well. Katsuo Rin. Ghost. We have reason to believe he is far more dangerous now than in his capacity as commander."

At this, Ryota looked again to Arakawa who spoke again, "I have read some reports on Ghost. He was the result of a long experiment by Director Kakuzawa known as Project: Atavist. Katsuo Rin is, in fact, a Diclonius male. A fact that was covered up and kept secret by Director Kakuzawa."

More murmurs. Largely of disbelief.

"More importantly, he is a Diclonius male with access to superhuman abilities," Ryota said, "I have listened to reports of strange occurrences on the streets, unrelated to Number 5. Survivors of recent skirmishes between Westmore's men, and civilians, suggest that Ghost has been using his abilities against civilians. Not that they, or Westmore's men, appear to realize what Ghost is, but knowing what we know about him, it was not difficult to read between the lines of those survivors' accounts."

"I believe," Arakawa picked up, "that his abilities are centered around the manipulation of sound. His physical influence appears to be limited, but his psychic influence does not appear to be. His link seems to be stronger with Diclonius subjects however, so none of you will be in any danger of a psychic assault from Ghost."

"That said," Ryota spoke, "if any unit encounters Ghost, do not engage. If he is alone, create a perimeter but keep your distance and call it in. If he is reinforced with troops, lay down suppressive fire and retreat to the main force and once again, call it in. Bando, and I, will deal with Ghost ourselves in either case. That said, Ghost remains a target of opportunity, so if you do in fact have the shot, you are free to eliminate the commander."

Kouta had heard terrible stories about that man from Mayu. It chilled him to think that a monster like him was in possession of powers beyond their comprehension. He hoped Bando and Ryota knew what they were dealing with. While he thought Lucy, or even Mayu, might be better choices to combat such a man, Kouta wasn't going to volunteer either of them. It was bad enough that Lucy was dead set on hunting down Angel. Anxiety twisted inside Kouta at the thought of losing her.

"Regarding Number 5," said Ryota, motioning towards Erich, "I'll leave it to the Director."

Erich stepped forward. Even from where Kouta was standing, he could see the dark rings around his eyes, his slightly unkempt hair, and weary posture. He had a distant look, like a man who saw only memories, not the present. Standing next to the strong, confident figures of Arakawa and Ryota, he looked like he didn't belong there with them. He looked shell shocked. Kouta understood what he was feeling more than most.

"Angel," he said, in a deep, cultured voice which belied his ragged appearance, "is a monster. She can outwit you, outthink you, outfight you. Your numbers will mean nothing to her. She was trained in the systematic elimination of overwhelming odds through confusion and fear. She will use your fear against you, your weapons against you, your equipment against you. Under no circumstance should you engage her without backup, or at all if you can help it. However, if you find yourself with no choice, there are a few things you can do to defend yourself, or at least retreat until you are in a more advantageous position."

Erich did not scan the room as Ryota and Arakawa did. He merely stared straight ahead.

"Angel prefers melee combat. Keep her at a distance at all costs. If you must fight her, do so out in the open and do not let her lure you into buildings or closed in areas. If she draws you into enclosed structures, she will only hunt you down and your guns will be worthless. If she is using smoke or tear gas to obscure your sight, disengage immediately and fall back until you are clear of the trap. Additionally, if this happens, immediately find a partner and escape with him. Do not get clear of the battleground alone. A second set of eyes will see her coming for your flank if you do not. Angel will be more susceptible to small arms fire than most Diclonius, as she uses her vectors to reinforce her arms and legs. This gives her superior speed and strength, but makes her more vulnerable to firearms. Just keep shooting and do not allow her speed to throw you.

Most importantly, you must remember that while she is powerful, and skilled, she is not invincible. She recently suffered defeat at Lucy's hands two nights ago in single combat. She can be beaten. Remember this. Her greatest weapon against you, is your fear. If you are forced into combat with her, keep your head. It may be the only thing that keeps you alive."

With that, he stepped back. Kouta then realized that Lucy had been holding onto him so tightly it was a little painful. She had been doing so through the entirety of Erich's speech.

"Lucy?" Kouta whispered, looking over towards Lucy. Her eyes were forced shut with rage.

"I want her dead," Lucy whispered.

"I know," Kouta said. He felt no pity for Angel, which was unusual for him, but there could be no forgiveness for her. For the pain she'd caused everyone. For nearly killing Mayu and Daisuke. For trying to kill Lucy. For all the people she had brought suffering to. He could nearly always find the good in everyone. He found he could not do that now. Not for Angel. In her, Kouta saw only twisted darkness and cruelty.

Ryota stepped forward once more.

"Reports indicate that Westmore's forces are concentrating in a three story, abandoned factory building in the city's industrial sector. They are dug in, and likely expecting us. According to photos of the site provided by our scouts in that area, it would appear that they have set up Red Sky on the roof. The weapon is our primary objective. Secondary objectives will be the elimination of Commander Rin and Director Westmore if he is on site. Once again, use caution if Commander Rin is encountered but if you have the advantage upon either, take them down."

Ryota then paused, scanning the room, then continued in a grave voice that echoed across the room.

"You have heard what you will be up against. I will not lie to you and say this will be an easy fight. We are outnumbered, and there are powerful threats that await us. But we have something they don't. We have something that is worth fighting for. Our lives, the lives of those we care about. Even humanity itself."

Ryota's voice began to rise as he spoke, his fist clenched and held up before him, his eyes hard set and intense.

"Ghost and Angel are formidable threats, but so too are we, and the Diclonius women who have chosen to stand with us in this dark hour. Westmore thinks he is waiting for an outnumbered force to break itself upon his walls, but what he does not yet know…is that he is awaiting a hurricane. We will tear down his walls and scatter lesser men who are not prepared for our courage. Our conviction. We will pull down his tower of security and bring him low. This night, we decide the fate of the world. Tonight, we bring blue skies back to Kamakura!"

The room was suddenly filled with the sound of shouts and cheers from the gathered soldiers. Kouta even felt swept up in the moment. It almost made him want to grab the nearest uniform, and go with them. The fear of death seemed far away in that moment.

The look on Lucy's face sobered him. She just looked worried. Finally, she shook her head and began pushing her way through the crowd. Kouta, somewhat startled, followed her. It was frustratingly difficult to keep pace with her as Kouta kept getting jostled around by soldiers who were making their way out of the room, led by various squad leaders. Eventually, both he and Lucy got clear of the departing soldiers and they stood before Ryota, Arakawa, Erich, and Bando. Bando's eyes widened at the sight of Kouta, but he remained silent for the moment.

"I can't go with you," Lucy said abruptly.

"Might I ask why?" Ryota said.

"Angel won't be following your army," Lucy said, "she'll be waiting for you to leave."

Ryota looked at her a moment, "are you sure of this?"

"Beyond sure," Lucy said, "everything she's after, is right here. Myself, my family. I don't think she really gives a damn about this Red Sky business. She wants us."

She motioned to Erich, "and him. Especially him. If I go with you, at the very least, she'll come in here and kill them. At the worst, she'll come after me. If she does that, she'll tear your men apart looking for me."

"She's right," Erich said, "we won't be able to go with you. I know her, and I know what she will likely do. She probably has some way to keep surveillance on this place, and if she sees either me or her leave with you, she'll follow us to the battleground, and wait for you to start trading shots with Westmore. She'll use the confusion to hunt us down and she'll kill anyone who gets in her way."

"Then what will you do?" Ryota asked, but it was Lucy who answered.

"I want to take Kouta and the others somewhere safe, and then I am going to hunt Angel down."

"Lucy," Kouta began, but she rounded on him.

"No Kouta, don't argue with me. I need to know that you're safe. I NEED that Kouta. Please."

He sighed, wishing he could do something. He hated feeling so helpless.

"I can help take care of that," came Bando's voice as he stepped forward, "go ahead Ryota. I'll get things in order here and join you soon."

"We depart in an hour," Ryota said before turning and leaving. Arakawa followed him, but not before sharing a look of recognition, and a smile, with Kouta. The room was now mostly empty, save for Lucy, Kouta, Bando, and Erich.

Bando turned to Kouta and smiled at him, "nice to meet you kid. Don't think we've been introduced. At least not properly. Name's Bando Kimura."

"Kouta Sakamoto," he said, "I've seen you before."

"Twice actually, both times at the other end of a gun I'd pointed at you and yours. I owe you an apology for that."

"Twice?"

"I was the guy in the mask that night at the beach. I clocked you."

"Oh really?" said Kouta with some measure of irritation. He could appreciate that this man was looking out for the people he cared about, but he was still a little irked about having been knocked out by the man. Not to mention the shot he took at Lucy.

Lucy, noticing Kouta's irritation, let out a huff of laughter, "he didn't exactly get away with that. I kicked his ass all over town."

"You got lucky."

"Twice."

Kouta, upon seeing the smirks on both faces, decided to let it go. He let out a breath and turned towards Bando.

"Well, from what I hear, you've more than made up for it. I want to thank you for protecting Mayu and Nana."

"I just wish I had been there to stop Angel from hurting Mayu. Lucy, when you bring that bitch down, I want you to give her one from me. And make it fuckin count."

Lucy only nodded. Bando turned back to Kouta.

"I'll send you out with Daisuke," he said, "and a few men. They can guide you to one of the safehouses we still control. Who will be going with you?"

"Kouta, Yuka, Mayu, and Nana."

"Nana's not going," came a voice from behind them.

Nana was standing there, with Daisuke in tow, who looked upset. Nana had changed clothes, Kouta noted. She wore a long, black woolen coat which was buttoned up, hugged her figure at the top, and flowed at the bottom. She wore dark boots with clacked loudly on the floor as she stepped slowly towards them. Her pink-purple hair fell around her shoulders in a seemingly unkempt state. She looked striking, appearing much older than she actually was, but then that was something Kouta noticed about the Diclonius women. They had an agelessness about them, or a strange tendency to emulate several different ones at once.

Nana also looked determined. Kouta could guess what this was going to be about.

"Nana," Kouta said, happy to see her, "I like the dress."

Nana's easy smile came to her face, "me too. I got it from Takashi. He said it was donated by a nurse."

"Of course he did," said Lucy with a chuckle, "funny how all the 'nurses' here have such good taste."

"Don't they?" said Nana with a wink.

"Nana, will you please reconsider?" said Daisuke. The smile melted off Nana's face as she turned towards him.

"No Daisuke. They could use my help with Westmore's men. I want to help."

"Nana…" Daisuke said again, but she cut him off.

"After what Ghost did to me, put me through...I want to be there. I want to be there when he goes down. I want to help do it."

"Everyone has a right to some payback," Bando said, "besides Daisuke, Lucy's not coming with us. You're actually the man I wanted to see."

Daisuke looked much like he wanted to object again, but he remained silent.

"Lucy wants to get her family out of the way. This hospital's not going to be the safest place with them here. I want you to take a handful of men, and escort them, and Director Vanith, to one of the safehouses until this is over…"

"I'm not leaving," said Erich in a hollow voice.

Bando threw his hands up, "are we all done figuring out who's going and who's staying?"

"The rest can leave. I won't. I just have a feeling about something."

"Want to clue us in?" said Bando.

"I'd rather not trouble you with it. You have your own problems."

Bando gave him a wary look, but shook his head, dropping the subject. Kouta, however, remained focused on Erich while the others made the arrangements on how their escort was going to be handled.

Erich looked haunted, just as he had on the night they'd met on a dimly lit street. It was a strange sort of image to behold. Kouta could see the ghost of the man Erich had likely once been. It felt to Kouta like seeing someone wearing clothes that didn't fit them anymore. Like the tailored suit of authority barely hung from the bones of an emaciated soul. Kouta knew what that was like. He knew what it meant to live like a ghost. Walking without direction, staring without seeing. That's where Erich was right now, and it reminded Kouta far too much of himself.

"Kouta?" came a voice near him. Lucy's voice. She had been speaking to him and he hadn't noticed.

"I'm sorry, what is it Lucy?"

"We're going to find Mayu and then leave. Come with me?"

There was a hint of pleading there. She wanted to be with him until the very last moment. He wanted that too, but…

"I'll…catch up in a minute," he said, motioning to Erich with his eyes.

Lucy turned towards Erich, fixing him for a moment with a look bordering on resentment, before turning back to Kouta.

"Not letting you get away from me without saying goodbye," she said.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Kouta said with a smile. He leaned towards her, kissing her cheek. She smiled back and briefly held his face with her hands, before stepping back to follow Daisuke and Nana. Bando departed then as well and soon, both Erich and Kouta were by themselves in the large empty room.

Erich studied him, much as Kouta had done the same to Erich. There were so many familiar things about Erich. Kouta wondered if Erich felt the same.

"Have a seat?" Erich said, motioning to one of the tables. Kouta nodded and walked over to a chair, sitting down and resting his arms on the table. Erich sat across from him, clasping his hands together. Erich's gaze fell upon the table as his head drooped, hair falling into his eyes.

They sat in silence for a moment as the world seemed to fall away. Here was a man who understood. Perhaps the only other person in the world who could.

"Lucy killed my father and little sister. When I was young," he said abruptly.

Erich's eyes flicked up towards Kouta, but he said nothing.

"Right in front of me," he continued, "we were all just children, and she was jealous of my cousin. She lashed out at my father and sister. Killed them both. I was covered in their blood and I screamed when the killing had stopped. Screamed until I couldn't think anymore. Couldn't remember things anymore, and when I woke up one day, I was older. I'd lost years because of it."

He paused there, wanting to see understanding in Erich's eyes. Something, anything, but that terrible emptiness. He didn't know why this was so important to him, but it was.

"You belonged to her," Erich said finally, in a quiet voice.

"Yes."

"You were hers. From the beginning. You showed her something she had never known, never felt, never seen. She claimed you. You were hers alone. You still are. I can see it in her eyes. I saw it in Angel's eyes too. They're more alike than they know."

Erich's hands wrung together more tightly as he went on.

"There's something so powerful about that. Knowing you have that kind of devotion. Knowing they'd kill before letting you go. It's frightening but exhilarating. Being…possessed…claimed…so fiercely. There aren't many who are mentally prepared for that kind of thing. It takes a certain kind of mind to accept it, and know how to work with it."

Erich let out a quiet huff of amusement, "in another life Kouta…you would have made an excellent Diclonius handler. Maybe even a Director yourself."

"I would never want to use them. Enslave them."

"No, I suppose not. That's where we're different," Erich's gaze became more intense as he looked at Kouta, "but we both belong to those women. We are claimed because we have this thing in common. This need to both hold, and wear, the leash. It's who we are, deep down. It's more than just equality between them and us. This is about how well our demons dance with their own."

"And what of your demons?"

"Mine?" Erich said, "took me a long time to see them for what they were."

Erich leaned forward, "there was a woman I was fond of you know. Her name was Celine. Angel cut her head off and brought it to me one morning. She raped me after showing me her blood soaked head and lifeless eyes. I thought it was being forced that I hated so much. Thought it was losing Celine. Thought it was the pain."

Erich's gaze left Kouta for a moment and became unfocused.

"But you know what?" he said, "I was wrong. Lying to myself. Truth told…I'd always wanted her to do it. Take the choice from me because I'd never choose it myself. Angel always knew me better than I knew myself. When she'd left…I didn't know how to feel. Do you know what it's like? Being brutally satisfied and horrified at the same time? It felt so wrong, yet…so…right. Had a lot of trouble accepting that."

He closed his eyes.

"Angel, was trying to set me free. It only hurt so much because I was so used to the chains. She was trying to show me how we were the same, and she's right, we are. I hate this world Kouta. Hate it as much as she does. I know she does. I could feel it in her words, her violence. Maybe she always knew I was just like her. Asleep in a shell. A tomb of flesh."

His eyes squeezed further shut, as he opened his mouth to say something. Silence.

"You can say it," Kouta said, "I understand. I might be the only one who ever will."

Another moment of silence before Erich looked at Kouta again, misery in his eyes, but not emptiness.

"I…I miss her. I shouldn't…but I do."

The words were torn from him, like flesh from bone, and sounded just as painful. But the pain filled the void in his eyes. Kouta knew that sometimes, pain was better than nothing. Pain was remembrance. Numbness made one forget.

"I know," Kouta said, nodding in acknowledgment.

"I feel like I don't know who I am anymore," Erich said, "maybe I never did."

"No," said Kouta, "I think you're finally finding out who you are."

"A monster," he said with bitter amusement, "just like her."

"I don't know," Kouta said, "violence sounds like her language. It was her way to tell you something, but maybe deep down, she's like you. Maybe she wants to stop but doesn't know how."

"I imagine that is why Lucy is here. No one can stop her now but Lucy."

"Or you."

Erich opened his eyes and gave Kouta a look that unnerved him.

"Maybe. It won't be long before we find out."

Silence between them for a moment.

"Erich," Kouta ventured, "what did you mean earlier? When you told Bando you had a feeling about something."

Erich stood up and smoothed his suit as he reached inside to pull out a strange, handheld device with a gridlike monitor and numbers in degrees digitally displayed at the bottom.

"Give this to Daisuke," he said, handing Kouta the device, "tell him to activate it in two hours."

"What happens in two hours?"

Erich gave Kouta a mirthless smile before he turned his back in dismissal.

"If I am right…this will lead Lucy to Angel," he said as he started walking away.

Kouta closed his fingers around the device. The quiet beeping sound that issued from it was like a slow, weak heartbeat. Feeling chilled from deep within, Kouta turned towards the hallway he'd seen Lucy depart to, and started walking, hoping he'd find her soon.

* * *

><p>It was a missile. Just a weapon. A relatively small thing to cause so much panic and chaos. But it was always the little things that seemed to change everything. A little thing like a chemical compound could turn a ballistic weapon, into a doomsday device.<p>

And a little thing like a secret could turn a man, into a monster.

Ghost stood alone, staring at the missile, taking in its details. The cold rushed in through the gaps in the walls where the construction had never been finished, and also from the massive hole in the ceiling where Red Sky was aimed. The wind sliced through Ghost's clothing like it wasn't there.

Chatter came in through Ghost's radio. He turned it down until it was silent again. Or relatively silent. He could hear the sounds of his men throughout the rest of the complex, setting up a perimeter, choke points, defenses. They all knew Ryota wasn't just going to let them complete the launch preparations unchallenged. Everyone was bracing for a fight. Ghost was looking forward to it. He knew Ryota and Bando. They were too good to not make it this far.

But they didn't know what was waiting for them here. Even if they did, it wouldn't change anything. They would come alone. They would want it that way. So did he.

He looked at the weapon like it was a sleeping beast. A monster waiting for just the right moment for its eyes to open and spread its terrible vengeance.

_You believe the Akane woman, don't you?_

"I think I do," said Ghost out loud. He hadn't been sure exactly when he'd come to that realization, but he finally believed what she had been trying to say about the sabotage. It didn't matter either way. To Ghost, the missile was merely a lure. A way to ensure that he could finally close the circle. Whether it did what Arakawa said it would do, or Westmore believe it would do, was of little concern to him.

"It doesn't matter," said Ghost aloud, voicing his thoughts even though it was quite unnecessary. He and the Voice shared the same mind after all.

_No, I guess not._

The voice spoke little now. It didn't seem to have much to say. The Voice, and Ghost, were no longer at odds. Was he becoming the Voice? Or was it becoming him?

Another gust of wind passed through the large empty room. A musical sound filled the air from the windchimes Ghost had arranged around the room. He had taken them from the shopowner he'd first killed in the city when he'd tested his new power. The sound calmed him, and provided him a way to practice his sound manipulation. The strange, distorted notes he created, like an awful symphony, had caused his men to largely leave him alone in this room. They had no idea Ghost was the one causing the strange sounds of course. Many simply believed the deserted industrial complex to be haunted somehow. Particularly that room. That Ghost spent so much time in here unnerved the others. Good.

Almost time now. Almost.

"Tell me about them," he said quietly, distractedly.

_Who?_

The Voice asked as if it didn't know.

"The ones who are gone," Ghost said, "my old friends."

_Why?_

"I want to remember."

Silence for a moment. Another gust of wind, another musical ringing, thunder in the sky. Almost time.

_They were full of laughter. And so were we._

"I miss them," Ghost whispered.

_So do I. _

Pain came up from the depths, cutting through the rage. Ghost embraced it, hanging on as long as possible before it ignited into a greater fire of anger. This was all his fault.

_We're going to make him pay Katsuo. He's going to answer for what he did to us. _

Ghost fingered the large pistol at his hip, letting the feel of the cold metal comfort him.

"Yes, we are."

_You have guests Katsuo._

Ghost calmly turned around as three soldiers entered the room. As his gaze settled upon them, he saw them all miss a step. Ghost smiled.

"They're coming, aren't they?" Ghost said.

The lead soldier cleared his throat after looking around nervously as another gust of wind sent the windchimes into a haunting crescendo.

"Scout reports has Ryota's men mobilizing at the hospital. They're getting ready to move out. We estimate their troops will be en route within the hour."

Ghost nodded, "finish mining the alternate routes and set up a choke point at the main drag in here. I want snipers in the buildings on either side. I expect they'll get past the trap but I want them limping and bleeding by the time they get here. Don't get dragged into a protracted firefight. Wound them and fall back."

"Sir, would you like me to post some soldiers in here to help defend the weapon?"

"You can post them outside, but not in this room. You have your orders."

"Yes sir."

They turned to leave, somewhat hastily Ghost noted. When they exited the room, Ghost reached for his cell phone and dialed a number. The call tone was custom. Antonio Vivaldi, he believed Westmore had mentioned.

"_Westmore."_

"It's Ghost," he said, "it's begun."

"_Good," _he said distantly, _"good."_

Ghost should have hung up the phone right then, but for some reason, he hesitated.

"_Was there something else?"_

Why had Ghost been allowed to live? More than that, allowed to serve in Kakuzawa's private army? Was it all Ryota's word? Or was there more to it?

"What happens after?" he asked, "when this is over. Where do we go from here? We are all that's left."

"_We rebuild, what else is there?"_

"And the Diclonius? Are we still going to be glorified exterminators for our governments? Considering the conversation you had with Vanith, it seems like we won't be answering to anyone but ourselves. What is our mission?"

He heard Westmore laugh on the other end.

"_Spoken like a true soldier."_

Ghost felt a flash of pride at the acknowledgment, but forced it down, waiting.

"_The Diclonius are a species come too soon. Without us, they will destroy everything they touch. Evolution is out of sync. We are on the front lines of the survival of our species. And theirs as well. If mankind is truly evolving, it is upon us to ensure it evolves properly. Lest we drown in the rising waters of their arrival."_

"You haven't exactly answered my question."

"_I suppose not, but you are a soldier Commander Rin. Your duty is to enforce the will of those who understand the question, and the answer. Both of which I just gave you."_

"Do you really think you can control Angel?"

"_Number 5 will cooperate, or she will be exterminated. That depends entirely on her."_

Ghost remembered her. Angel's dark eyes filled with rage and madness. He remembered her hand reaching out. Remembered the longing that tore through her like rusty nails. Ghost knew there could be no controlling her. For Angel, there could be only death.

"Don't kill Vanith," Ghost said, "if you do, you'll never make it out of the city alive."

Silence on the phone for a moment.

"_I'll take that into consideration. I have to prepare for our own operation. Do not let Ryota stop that launch."_

"He will not live to see the morning sun."

"_That's what I want to hear. Good luck…Ghost."_

The phone call ended. Ghost lowered his hand slowly and dropped the phone onto the ground. He would not be needing it anymore.

He took a deep breath and turned back towards the missile, then simply began to wait. He turned his radio back up, knowing the reports of contact with the enemy would come soon.

He could hardly wait.


	45. The Burning City of Kamakura

**Author's Note 7-7-14: Five months, I can hardly believe I let this story sleep this long. It's a long time coming but here is the next installment. Huge thanks for those who still wrote and kept up with me over the last few months. You've been great and I'm thankful this story still rates attention after all this time. You guys rock :)**

* * *

><p>The cold was like knives, slicing through Bando's clothes, skin, and body armor as he stood in the back of the lead troop truck, one hand on the railing to keep steady.<p>

Snow fell heavily from the inky black sky, which was slightly tinted red from the poison in the clouds, illuminated by the moonlight. The street was a stark picture of snow dusted cars and sidewalks, illuminated by the flickering light of streetlights on either side of the road. Several were not working at all, giving the road ahead a haunting visage. Silence prevailed, save for the rattling of vehicle motors and the crunching of tires on snow as the convoy proceeded towards the industrial sector where Ghost and his forces were waiting. Bando absently rested his hand on his Desert Eagle. Although he was armed with the standard Type 89 assault rifle, the pistol gave him far more comfort. There was familiarity in the weapon's feel, and it had seen him through so many desperate moments. This would be the most desperate mission he had ever undertaken. He knew in his mind that he should feel fear. Fear of death, of failure.

This however, was not his way. He was ready. Had been ready for this for a very long time. The battle that would define his life. He knew in his soul that tonight was the night that everything came full circle.

Looking around at the other soldiers though, he could see that many of them were afraid. They didn't want to die and they all knew that some of them would tonight. Bando thought about who they were as people. The reasons they might have had for following him and Ryota tonight. How their lives culminated to this point. He considered these things in a way he had never done before.

So much had changed. So very much. He hoped Mayu understood just how important she had been in his own changes. He hoped he could tell her, show her somehow. Someday. Perhaps the men around him were thinking similar thoughts about those waiting for them at home.

He knew Nana was thinking of that very thing.

She stood stoically on the roof of the truck Bando and Ryota were riding upon. Her dark coat billowed in the night air. Her coat, and long wild hair were dusted with snow. She stood rigidly still, almost statuesque. He silently saluted her bravery, as they all knew why she was standing so prominently. Nana knew she would be a primary target for snipers or anyone else attempting to get the drop on them. Nana had suggested making herself a target as she would be most likely to deflect any attempts on her life, and those attempts would reveal enemy positions along the road. Ryota had reasoned that they would make contact with the enemy long before they ever reached their headquarters in the industrial sector. It was a good thing Daisuke was not here. He would be so pissed off right now.

"Nana," Bando said, needing to break the silence, "you ok up there?"

"Cold," she said, "but I'm ok."

Bando noticed Ryota's gaze traveling up towards Nana. Specifically her arms and legs.

"How are you acclimating to the bionics?" Ryota asked.

"A little weird at first," Nana said, "but I'm learning pretty fast. If I worry I'm going to slip, I just use my vectors, but I don't have to do that so much anymore."

Nana had been referring to the limb replacements she had received at the hospital. There hadn't been time for a lengthy procedure like Daisuke had received, but the scientists there had been able to offer Nana a new set of prosthetics that allowed her to control her arms and legs with nerve impulses from what still worked in her upper arms and legs. She didn't have any feeling in them any more than she did with her old prosthetics, but she could move on her own power. Most importantly, she did not need her vectors to move her limbs, freeing them up for use in combat. Bando knew she possessed more of them than did Lucy, making Nana even more invincible to small arms fire than Lucy could ever be. Nana's only disadvantage to Lucy now, was her lack of actual combat experience. That was about to drastically change soon.

Bando leaned over to get a look at Nana's face. When the wind revealed it, Bando caught a darkness behind the determination in her gaze.

"Nana," Bando said, "I wasn't talking about if you were cold or not. I'm asking about you. Are YOU ok? Talk to me."

Nana was not used to combat, Bando knew. She'd been through some harrowing moments, but those had been situations thrust upon her. It was different when a person was anticipating impending combat. Knowing it was coming. Nana did not immediately answer him and Bando noticed other soldiers taking an interest in Bando's question, and Nana's response.

"I want him to pay," Nana said after a long silence, "that's why I'm here. I want to make sure he pays for what he's done."

"So do I," Bando said. After a moment he added, "I know what he did to Mayu."

For the briefest moment, he saw Nana's teeth clench in anger.

"We're not going to let him get away with it….are we Bando?"

"Fuck no," he said, "his ass is fucking dead. Tonight."

Bando shared the briefest glance towards Ryota. His face was set in stone and he did not allow any emotion to cross it. Of all of them, Bando knew Ryota very likely had the most going through his mind. For all that Ghost had become, Bando knew that Ryota still viewed Ghost as a son. Just as he'd viewed Bando as his own son. Bando allowed himself a moment of sympathy for Ryota, who was about to watch his "sons" try to kill each other. Indeed, he knew one of them had to die. He had already passed judgment. Bando never wanted to know what that was like. Ever. Looking around at the worried faces of the soldiers still in the truck with him, Bando felt responsible. He felt responsible for them and their fears.

"You hear that?" Bando said loudly, "this motherfucker is going down. Westmore and Ghost. I don't want to see any of you freaking out or acting like pussies. That's for them to do. Not us."

Bando turned on his radio and held down the call button so all the soldiers in the other vehicles could hear him.

"You know what those bitches are thinking right now? They're shitting themselves knowing that we're coming for their asses. They ALL know their clocks are running right the fuck out. We're not the ones scared. They are. And we're going to show them all why. Check your weapons and show some balls. We're going to burn them down. We're going to see the sunrise and those bastards are getting bagged and tagged. Get frosty, it's almost game time!"

Bando shoved his radio back into its holster and made a point of chambering a round into his assault rifle. All around him he heard the soldiers chuckle, reassure one another, and check their own weapons. Bando knew how important it was for morale to remain high in a moment like this. He was a soldier. A part of the team, no longer a loner. More than that, Bando felt a responsibility towards these men. Bando stole a glance towards Ryota, who was looking back at him, nodding his head in approval.

"You know," Ryota said quietly, "I always wanted this for you. I knew you had this kind of strength."

The words went deep, and Bando admitted to himself how much Ryota's approval had always meant to him. But there was still something…something he had to know.

"You wanted the same for Katsuo…didn't you?"

Ryota closed his eyes and looked away for a moment.

"I'd hoped….he could forgive me. When I'd realized he'd forgotten what I'd done to those he'd called friends, I knew he would never be able to. Once he remembered."

"There's nothing you could have done," Bando said, "that guy…I knew him in a way you didn't. He started out fueled by hatred. That's what drives him. That's not something you could have ever fixed."

"And you? You weren't fueled by hatred?"

Bando started to answer, but then remembered that he had been. He'd hated the Diclonius. Glancing at Nana, he couldn't even force himself to dredge up that old hatred. To him, Nana was no longer simply a Diclonius. She was a person. He'd seen her tears, her pain, her laughter, her love. To Bando, she was human. His old prejudices melted away as if though they had never been.

"Once," Bando answered, "but I woke up."

"What if he'd had the chance?"

Bando paused for a moment.

"I don't know," he admitted, "but I can't excuse what he's done."

Bando paused another moment to think. To consider how Ryota was feeling. How he was dealing with that situation. To consider what must have been going through his mind.

"You can mourn who he was," Bando said, "but you cannot defend what he is."

"No," Ryota said, reluctantly.

"You know what we have to do," Bando pressed.

"I know," Ryota replied, "better than you ever will."

There was a silence after that. Little more than the sound of vehicle motors and crunching ice and snow. Bando struggled to find something else to say. He knew this would be the last chance for him to say what he needed to.

"Look…Ryota…"

"Your mother was everything to me."

Bando was stunned silent with the mention of his mother.

"I loved her in a way I'd never loved anyone or anything else in the whole of my life," Ryota continued, "she was my light. I loved you like I'd loved her."

Bitterness threatened to make Bando reply with sardonic sarcasm, but he couldn't help but think of how he would feel if he'd ever had to watch someone he'd dearly loved die. If he'd had to watch Mayu die.

Bando let go of his bitterness. In that moment, he knew this would be the last chance to really know Ryota. To really understand him. There was no more room for emotional barriers. Only the truth would serve him now.

"Then where were you?" Bando said, "I was a lost, pissed off kid who needed someone to be there."

"I know," Ryota replied, "and I'm sorry I failed you. I owed you more than that."

Bando turned his head to the sky, and relished the cold of the snow settling on his face. It was falling harder now. In the distance, Bando heard thunder. It was unusual to hear such a sound during a snowstorm but it wasn't unheard of. Still, it was a chilling omen.

"Can you ever forgive me?" Ryota asked.

Bando sighed, and aimed a sideways glance towards Ryota.

"The past is the past. There's where I'm going to leave it. Not a damn thing that matters except right here, right now. And you're standing here."

Ryota nodded.

"Just watch my back," Bando said, "I need a partner right now more than a father."

Bando looked away then, as he struggled with the words he had been wanting to say.

"I would have been proud to call you both," he said finally.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Ryota cross his arms and lean against the roof of the truck's cab, his head slightly lowered. Silvered hair that escaped his hair ties dangled in his eyes as he seemed to stare off into space.

"That means more to me than you will ever know….Bando."

Feeling both moved, and slightly uncomfortable, Bando aimed a light punch at Ryota's arm and smirked.

"Reign it in old man. We're going to be killing people soon. Fucked up time for a father-son moment."

"Well, considering who we are, I'd say it's the perfect time. Wouldn't you?"

Bando chuckled, "suppose so."

At that moment, Ryota's radio came alive with chatter. He reached for it and pressed the call button.

"Say again," he said.

"Got a scouting team that hasn't reported back. Delta squad's gone dark."

"Where were they assigned?"

"One block up, left side of the street. Building clearing."

"Shit!" Bando said, intuitively knowing the timing of how things would play out.

The scouts were dead. They had to be. The enemy would have to know information about dead scouts would get back to command in minutes, meaning if they felt they could kill scouting parties, the attack was imminent.

"NANA!" Bando screamed, "GUARD UP! WE'VE GOT INCOMING!"

He saw Nana tense up in readiness, and not a moment too soon. Moments later, gunfire erupted from third floor windows in the buildings surrounding them. Heads went down and he saw sparks from deflections as most of the fire was, predictably, concentrated on Nana.

"OPEN FIRE! OPEN FIRE!" Bando screamed as he whirled his assault rifle up, and against his shoulder, taking cover behind the truck railing and aiming for a muzzle flash in one of the windows. All around him, Ryota's men unleashed their own gunfire.

It had begun.

* * *

><p>Lucy absently squeezed Kouta's hand more tightly as they rode in the backseat of the Humvee that Daisuke was driving. Warmth spread through her as he felt Kouta return the gesture, and she shifted herself closer against him, resting her head on his shoulder. A twinge of guilt went through her as well, as she saw the anxious faces of Mayu in the front seat, and Daisuke, who was driving, in the rear view mirror. The ones they loved were surely facing incredible danger right now, and it was likely all they could think about. At least Lucy was lucky enough to be with Kouta right now.<p>

Yuka had not gone with them. The doctors recommended she remain behind to continue recovering from her gunshot wounds. Considering she was the least connected to the rest of them, as far as the enemy was concerned, it was reasoned that she would likely still be safe at the hospital. At least more so than the rest of them would have been. Lucy had been willing to let Kouta say good bye to her alone, but Yuka had insisted Lucy be there as well. She had implored them both to stay safe, and then had asked Kouta to step out of the room for a moment. Lucy shared a look with him, before she nodded, and Kouta silently walked out, closing the door gently behind him.

"_Just one thing Lucy,"_ she said, _"I have just one thing I need you to do for me, and I promise to put the past behind us forever."_

"_Name it," _Lucy said quickly and breathlessly, _"anything, anything you want, just name it."_

Yuka stared at Lucy, almost desperately, _"don't you dare let her kill you Lucy. Don't you dare break his heart that way. Don't you dare…ever…leave him…by dying. I'll never forgive you if you do."_

Lucy paused for a moment as several emotions swirled within her all at once. Gratitude at the chance to be accepted by Yuka once more, fierce love for Kouta and the need to protect him from ever being hurt again, smoldering anger for Angel and all the pain she had brought to her family, and a dark lust for vengeance.

"_Never,"_ Lucy whispered vehemently, _"I'll never let her win. I swear on my life she will never hurt any of us again after tonight. I promise I'll find her. I'll end this, and I'll come back."_

"_You'll come home,"_ Yuka corrected. The words sent a piercing stab of emotion through Lucy who closed her eyes and nodded.

"Lucy, everything alright?" came Kouta's voice, snapping her out of her daydreaming.

"What?" Lucy said distractedly, "oh…yeah. I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"About?"

She paused, and closed her eyes, reaching for his arm with her other hand and holding tightly.

"Just…that I'm lucky. I've been lucky."

Kouta simply waited; Lucy continued, her voice falling to a near whisper so as not to be heard by Mayu or Daisuke in the front seat.

"For what I've put you through…and…others…you should hate me. I should be dead. I shouldn't have a place in your life…"

"Lucy…"

"But I do. I do have that place, even though I shouldn't. What if…."

She stopped then, conflicting emotions about Angel suddenly coming to the surface.

"What if?" Kouta said.

"What…if she…could have had that."

"Who? Angel?"

"I'm not saying she deserves forgiveness or mercy. I wouldn't have expected either for myself, but…what if?"

Kouta remained silent, so Lucy kept talking.

"Erich. He obviously loves her, but something kept him from reaching out to her. What if he had?"

"Then they would have been two monsters destroying everything around them. Only they'd be doing it together," Kouta replied.

He turned and leveled a serious look upon her.

"You. Are. Not. Like. Her."

"But…"

"No Lucy, just…stop."

She complied, falling silent and returning his gaze.

"She enjoys it," he said quietly, "she wants to be a killer, and Erich wanted her to be a killer too. I think he was able to distance himself from her in the past, but it's too real for him now. He can't ignore what her violence says about himself since he made her into the killer she's become. But you Lucy, that's not ever what you really wanted for yourself. It's not what I want for you."

"Kouta…"

"You can find all the similarities you want with her Lucy, but don't ever think that you're like her. You're not."

Lucy sighed and rested her head against Kouta's arm, "thanks Kouta."

"For what?"

"Reminding me who I am…and who I'm not."

She felt him press his lips on her forehead and warmth spread through her.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he replied, squeezing her hand. Lucy didn't want the car ride to end. She allowed herself a moment of selfish naiveté where she wished they could just keep going. Drive away from Kamakura and disappear. Leave it all behind right now.

"Shit," came Daisuke's voice from the front seat, "road's blocked."

"What?" said Lucy, snapping out of her reverie and sitting up straight to see what was blocking the road. The first thing that caught her attention was the fire. There were several wrecked cars forming a barrier on the main road they were traveling on. Many of those cars were on fire, and a few had motionless dark shapes in them that might have been human beings.

"Sure didn't take long for this city to go to hell," Daisuke said.

Daisuke slowed the vehicle to a stop. As they got closer Lucy could see more details of the destruction around them. Windows on either side of the street were smashed, and fire flickered out of some of them. Many cars burned, with fuel tanks dripping liquid fire from the ignited oil and gas that leaked from them into plumes of flame below. Corpses were also strewn upon the ground. Most of them looked like regular civilians, displaying gunshot wounds. There were a few dead soldiers as well. Most of them looked like they had died from brutal beatings, though some were charred and still smoking as though burned alive. And recently. All the soldiers were missing their firearms.

"This is bad," Daisuke said, "soldiers and civilians are having it out on the streets."

"Exactly what Angel would have wanted," Lucy said darkly, "it's just some kind of sick game to her…all of this."

"Not necessarily," Daisuke said, "I mean, you heard Erich back there. Yeah she's a psychopath who certainly enjoys it, but he seems to believe there's a method to her madness. I mean think about it. Earlier today, the military was only interested in hunting her, or Diclonii in general. Now they're spread thin. The ones who aren't trying to repel Ryota right now, are trying to contain a situation that's getting out of control. They can't hope to do both that, and effectively hunt something like Angel at the same time."

"Or us," Kouta piped up, "that could work for us. Might keep us safe long enough to get to where we're going."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Daisuke said, "remember what else was in that broadcast? A Diclonius woman. We're traveling with one. Even if that didn't make us a target, we're looking at a situation where there are mobs in the street. Mobs, once they become mobs, don't typically have an agenda outside of destroying everything in their path."

"What are we going to do about this?" Mayu asked, motioning to the blocked road, "this isn't the only way to where we're going is it?"

"It's not," Daisuke relied, "but the highway was just past here. I was hoping to get on that and it would have been a straight shot to the safehouse. As it is, we'll have to take side roads, which makes me nervous because if we get cornered in any of them for any reason, there's no way out."

"Don't forget," Lucy said, "you're traveling with a Diclonius woman. We're hardly defenseless."

"That's true, we can handle ourselves. I'm just hoping it doesn't come to that."

Before he could even finish his sentence, Lucy noticed a bright light in the rear view mirror which quickly shifted to bathe their vehicle in light.

"Shit, heads down!"

Everyone ducked as a few rifle shots rang out behind him, clanging against the metal of the car and shattering one of the windows. Mayu screamed.

"Goddamn it!" Lucy growled, using one of her vectors to blast away the door nearest her.

"Lucy, what the hell are you doing!?" Daisuke yelled.

"I'm going make these sorry sons of bitches even sorrier."

"Lucy wait!" Kouta cried, but she had already leapt from the car.

Down the road some distance away at the previous intersection, a military Humvee was parked with the front doors on either side open. Past the glare from the floodlight that was shining upon them, she could see men with guns taking aim with their weapons, using the car doors as cover. She brought her vectors to bear as she saw muzzle flashes from their weapons firing. She deflected every shot fired, and even tried to return a few, but they were too far away for her to be accurate with her throws. Not to mention the light blinded her. She quickly realized it had been foolish to try to face them head on. She could easily close the distance by using her vectors to sail through the air towards them, but the floodlight would make it practically impossible to tell where bullets were coming from. She would be torn to pieces before she landed.

Just as worry began to set in, she heard machine gun fire from behind her. Daisuke, returning fire. After a few moments, she heard glass loudly shatter and sparks fly at the truck in front of her. The floodlight abruptly winked out. If it had not been for the faint illumination of the streetlights to either side, she would have been night blinded.

"Everyone out of the car!" she heard him shout, "Lucy! Go!"

She took a running start and then slammed her vectors down upon the street. Pavement cracked and flew outwards as she vaulted into the air. The stunned soldiers in front of her could only mount a token defense before she was instantly among them.

"Fuck!" she heard one scream. Lucy didn't waste a moment. She whirled her vectors outwards in a slashing motion. The two men nearest her were instantly cleaved in two, as was the half of the car. Their death screams were like flies buzzing in her ear.

"Bitch!" came a voice from the roof. The soldier who had been pointing the floodlight. She looked up to find herself staring down the barrel of an automatic pistol.

Reacting on instinct, she snapped up a vector like a bladed whip, and severed his arm at the elbow. As he began to scream, she ended it with a forceful stab of a vector through his heart. He convulsed once, then toppled from the roof of the car, dead.

It was over in moments, and bit by bit, Lucy's other senses began to return to her. The smell of fresh gas was in the air. She must have sliced the fuel tank in the initial attack. There was a flickering light at her peripheral vision, and she turned her head to see what it was. When she did, horror instantly spiked through her.

Their car was on fire. Lucy began running towards it.

"KOUTA!" she screamed as she ran. She didn't get halfway to it before the gas tank ignited and an explosion rang out. A ball of fire and smoke rose from the destruction as shards of metal and glass flew outward and clattered noisily across the street. Lucy stopped abruptly and sank to her knees in numb shock. Her breath came heavily as she watched the burning wreckage.

"KOUTA!" she screamed again. As the sound of her voice faded, he heard glass crunching from somewhere behind her. She turned just in time to see a forth soldier aiming a combat shotgun at her. She had just enough time to bring her vectors up to defend herself when he fired a round. Unprepared for the nature of the projectile, she deflected most of the pellets, but a few got through and struck her. One in her left arm, and her right thigh. She cried out in pain and surprise as the soldier racked another shell, hoping to finish her off.

"You're going to fucking pa…."

He was abruptly cut off by the sound of gunfire off to the side. Bullets tore through the advancing soldier and he toppled to the ground, already dead. Lucy whirled her head around quickly to see where the shots had come from, and was greeted with the sight of Daisuke, his rifle against his shoulder, aiming where the soldier had been, smoke rising from the muzzle. Behind him stood Mayu and Kouta.

"Lucy!" Kouta yelled out, as he brushed past Daisuke. Lucy stood up, despite the pain from her wounds, and ran towards him. Upon reaching Kouta, she pulled him into a crushing hug that he returned just as hard.

"Lucy…you're bleeding!"

"It's nothing, just grazed. I thought…that you…the car…"

"That's why I told everyone to get out of the car," Daisuke said, lowering his weapon and stepping towards them, "lot of bullets hit the car and I could smell gas. I figured they hit the tank and it was only a matter of time before it lit up."

They all then looked at their burning vehicle. The elation of winning the battle, and everyone being alive, was now starting to become eclipsed by the fact that their vehicle was destroyed.

"Damn," Daisuke said, "guess we're hoofing it to the safehouse."

He looked mournfully at the enemy's car, "Lucy, did you have to destroy their car too? We could have used it."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. Just reacted."

"It's alright. Reacting probably saved your life."

There was a moment of silence between them. The sound of crackling fire was occasionally broken up by the whisper of wind through the buildings and soft thunder in the distance. Snow began falling more heavily around them, reminding Lucy of how cold it was outside.

"We have to move," Daisuke said, "they probably called it in when they saw us. They'll have backup here shortly."

"They didn't even know who we were," Kouta said, "they just started shooting. What the hell was that?"

"Looks like Angel really changed the game with that broadcast," Daisuke replied, "created a city full of panicked people. It's obvious Westmore doesn't give a damn about the people here so he's probably just ordered his men to deal with it as they saw fit. Obviously for them, that means shooting anything that moves that isn't one of their own."

"Is the safehouse really going to be safe?" Mayu piped up, "I mean…if everything in the city is so crazy, how can we be sure anywhere is safe?"

Daisuke sighed, "honestly Mayu, I don't know. Everything I could tell you about the place just seems like it would make it a target. If Ryota has a military presence there, I would expect Westmore to have given orders to attack it, and considering the mobs in the street I can't be sure the civilians there wouldn't be as dangerous as the soldiers out here. But it's the best we can do. The hospital is out of the question as that would be a primary target, and it might turn out that Ryota's safehouses are a very low priority on Westmore's agenda. With Westmore's men juggling objectives in the city, they might just be leaving them alone entirely. Everything could be under control there. We have to try. There's nowhere else to go. Besides, I'll…"

He was cut off by the sound of distant motors, getting louder with every passing moment.

"Shit! Go, go!"

Daisuke motioned to a nearby passage between two buildings. Lucy and the others broke into a run following him. The passage was sparsely lit with flickering, dying lights from lamps positioned above doorways. Aside from these faint lights, the passage was growing dimmer. Leaving the destruction behind, they raced headlong into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Gunfire roared in every direction, matched only by the clanging sound of bullets hitting the vehicles. Bando tore apart a nearby window with gunfire from his rifle. He saw the muzzle flashes in that window abruptly fly upward, as though the wielder had fallen backwards. He took cover behind the truck he was in and removed the gun's magazine, retrieving another from a dead soldier next to him.<p>

"Shit," he exclaimed, "Ryota!"

Ryota emptied the magazine of his pistol into a nearby doorway, killing the soldier standing there who had left cover. When he took cover, he looked at Bando, acknowledging him.

"We've got our fucking dicks in the wind out here! We have to pull back!"

"Can't," he growled, "reports from the rear have the enemy back there. They drove trucks through some of the side roads. Vehicles they hotwired. We're blocked in here."

"Goddamn it!" Bando yelled, "if we try to push through, they'll just decimate us on our way to Ghost's main force. That's not an option."

"So we can't retreat and we can't advance…"

They were interrupted by another hail of gunfire peppering down on their location. Bando ducked but realized the shots were coming from a third story window where a soldier had a perfect angle on them. As he looked down the barrel of his rifle, Bando thought he should be seeing his life flash before his eyes. Suddenly, with a horrified scream, that soldier was plucked from the window by an invisible force and hurled through the air into one of the side roads. Moments later, an explosion came from that direction. Looking up, he saw Nana. Her eyes were fierce and her teeth were gritted. The soldiers were still shooting mostly at her. She had bleeding cuts and damage to her clothing and bionics where some of the bullets grazed her but she never left her perch. Bando realized that Nana was probably the only reason they weren't all dying en masse.

"Bando!" Ryota yelled, "did that come from one of the mined roads?"

"Yeah," he answered back, "our girl here tossed one of those shitheads into it. Must have landed on one."

Ryota paused for a second to think, then got on his radio, "all units, throw down smoke, get your heads down and get ready to move!"

Bando pulled a smoke grenade from his vest, as did Ryota and the other men around them. They dropped them on the ground by the truck and took cover as the smoke began to crawl upward, concealing them.

"Nana!" Ryota yelled, "come down! Now!"

"But.."

"Now! There isn't time!"

Nana floated through the air to stand in the back of the truck. Rolling his eyes, Bando yanked her down into cover.

"Head. Down." Bando said.

"I can handle…"

"Enough!" Ryota yelled, turning a fierce gaze upon Nana, "Nana, I need you to clear one of the side roads of those mines. Push a car, dumpster, anything like that against the ground and lead us. Set them off in front of us. We need a way out of here."

"But if I do that, I can't draw their fire away from you!"

"We'll be leaving them behind. They'll only be able to come at us from limited directions. We can handle that. Out here we're surrounded. We CAN'T handle that. We won't have much time before the smoke dissipates so we need to act now. Can you do it?"

She nodded once, "I can do it."

Ryota pointed, "that way, we'll get moving behind you."

Ryota then got on his radio, "all units disembark and fall in behind the lead car. We're cutting a path through one of the side roads but we can't take the trucks. Let's move!"

Everyone quickly jumped off of the truck and onto the road, keeping their heads down among the strewn vehicles along the road as bullets came at them through the smoke.

"Ryota!" Bando yelled, "get to the lead car with Nana, you take care of that. I'm breaking off."

"Why?"

Bando pointed to a building to the left of the side road they were heading towards, "that building is connected to several others behind it. I'm going to go in and clear it so they can't follow and get the drop on us."

"Take some men with you…"

"No, they'll slow me down."

"Damn you Bando, do not do this now. We don't have time for this!"

"More men is more noise, more chances to get spotted. They won't know I'm coming. I can do this, just keep Nana and your men alive! I better goddamn see you on the other side of the road!"

"Bando…"

"Move your ass!"

Bando dropped his spent rifle and drew his pistol along with a combat knife. Bracing his gun arm on his knife hand, he stayed low, sprinting through the smoke and gunfire into the dark of the building. The sounds of gunfire changed from sharp, to echoed as the sounds reverberated throughout the inside of the building. Flashes in the back of the room he was in told him there were soldiers on the second floor. Moving quickly and with care, he traversed the room, leaving behind the wisps of smoke that trailed from the open door. The cordite smell was heavy in the air as he reached the stairs on the far wall. As he moved further into the room, the optics on his cybernetic eyes slightly adjusted for the low light. It was a feature he'd taken for granted long enough to forget it existed. He was glad of it now.

Ascending the stairs quickly and quietly, he could hear voices. Three men.

"_Think I see some of them walking, looks like they're headed into one of those roads."_

_"The mined roads? Ghost said they wouldn't be stupid enough to try it. Guess he overestimated them."_

_"Yeah, they're done. Change position. Let's finish them off."_

The first man had turned around but Bando was already there, he shoved the combat knife through his right eye and into his brain. Bando grabbed the muzzle of another man's rifle before he could point it towards him, then Bando kicked the second man in the chest, knocking him on the ground. The solder fired two shots from his rifle before Bando went under his arm and shoved the combat knife into the man's throat, disarming him, then throwing him aside. The third man got up and went for the pistol at his hip. Bando reached him, twisted his gun arm behind his back and threw a knee into his groin. Stunned by the sudden pain, Bando used the free moment to wrap his other arm around the soldier's neck, bent him double and yanked hard, snapping his neck.

Lowering him gently to the floor, Bando paused a moment to listen for approaching footsteps. He hadn't wanted to use his pistol for other soldiers possibly in the building to hear a gunfight on the inside. When no one immediately arrived, Bando reasoned he still had the element of surprise. He intended to keep it as long as possible.

Gunfire still raged outside, but it sounded like it was coming from the street. Likely Westmore's soldiers still trying to fire into the smoke, hoping to hit targets. Soon they would give chase, but at least the playing field would be even on the street. Bando would make sure it stayed even. He retrieved an assault rifle from a dead soldier, checked the magazine, then chambered a round. He took a position by the window and checked to see if he could make out signs of enemy soldiers but gave up on it after a few moments. The smoke in the street was thick, making it impossible to differentiate friend from foe. From the direction of the side road, Bando could hear explosions. Nana, clearing the mines.

"That'a girl," Bando said, stepping away from the window. As he did so, he began to hear chatter on one of the dead soldier's radios.

"_Where the fuck are they?"_

"_They're tripping mines in the side road, near where we jammed them up. They're trying to escape."_

"_Fuck! Get some men on that road! Stop them! What about our sniper squad in that area?"_

"_Got a few repositioning, but we've got a squad that just went dark. They might have men in the building."_

"Shit!" Bando exclaimed aloud. His element of surprise was not going to last long. He got on his radio.

"Ryota! Heads down, you've got snipers preparing to attack."

"_From where?"_

"My side. I'm working on the problem, just stay alive! Keep Nana safe!"

Bando raced back towards the staircase, preparing to move to the third floor, when he noticed a squad of three men descending the stairs. Bando crouched immediately and took aim with the rifle, waiting until all three were in sight.

"Shit!" one exclaimed upon noticing Bando. Bando opened fire, killing the first man instantly, and wounding the second. The third returned fire ineffectually as he raced up the stairs. Bando rolled to avoid the gunfire and fired back, forcing the third man back upstairs. The second slid down the stairs, writhing in pain. Bando executed him quickly with a single shot to the head from the rifle as he advanced towards the stairs. As he got closer, he heard the third man talking on a radio.

"I'm under attack here! They've got someone in the building! He took out one of the sniper teams!"

"_Just one fucking man!? Take him out!"_

"I…"

He paused, as Bando had tossed a grenade upstairs. He heard the man scream moments before the explosion ripped him apart.

"Two squads down," Bando said quietly to himself as he moved upstairs, his rifle at the ready.

"_Report!"_ came the voice from the radio, _"REPORT!"_

Bando picked up the radio as he passed the mutilated soldier, and pressed the call button.

"All you motherfuckers are dead," he said darkly, "you fucked with the wrong people."

"_Fuck you!"_

"No, FUCK! YOU!"

Bando tossed the radio away, rage thundering through his veins. He heard more voices in the hallway beyond. He buried his emotions until he had achieved a cold calm. This was his element. Gunfire, battle and death. These were the moments in which he thrived.

He reloaded the rifle, and prepared to clear the building. This, was what he lived for.

* * *

><p>"Get back! Get back!" Daisuke yelled as he practically hurled himself away from the alleyway's exit onto the highway. The others cried out in surprise as gunfire tore away at the walls around them, barely missing Daisuke who scrambled to his feet.<p>

"Shit," he exclaimed, "how did they surround us so fast?"

"I don't know," Lucy said in a sarcastic tone, getting back to her feet as well, "it's almost like they're using radios to communicate or something."

She stepped forward and simply waited as the sound of the car motor got closer.

"Lucy…"

"I got this."

Lucy dropped four pieces of rebar she was carrying onto the ground in front of her. She had picked it up from some of the random destruction they had passed as they were fleeing Westmore's patrols. She lifted these pieces with her vectors and waited.

"I won't destroy the car, I know we need wheels."

Daisuke pointed towards the alley's exit, "guy on a mounted gun. Take him out first."

She nodded, then looked towards Kouta. Guilt slashed through her. She hated for him to watch her kill. Kouta stole a glance outward, placing a protective arm around Mayu's shoulders. He then looked back towards Lucy and also nodded towards her.

As they took cover behind a nearby dumpster, Lucy turned back to the exit and steeled herself. Right at that moment, the military vehicle came into view, as did the man on the mounted gun attached to the car's roof. The weapon was pointed directly at them and the soldier was preparing to fire. Lucy hurled one of the pieces of rebar at the soldier. The metal struck him in the shoulder, piercing his body and throwing him off of the vehicle. She aimed her next two at the driver, through the passenger window, hoping to stop him before he hit the gas to escape. The first piece of metal buried itself into the skull of the passenger, killing him, and the second pierced the driver's chest. The car began to lazily roll forward as she noticed to two soldiers in the backseat scrambling to exit the car just as it passed by the alleyway.

"Let's move!" Daisuke said, "before they get their heads on straight! We have to take the car!"

But Lucy was already moving, running at full speed out of the alleyway. She turned the corner to see the two remaining soldiers right in front of her, still getting their feet from under them having exited a moving vehicle. They hesitated as they came face to face with Lucy. She lashed out with her vectors, and the men screamed, sensing they were about to die.

"Lucy wait!" she heard Kouta cry out behind her, but it was too late. She had already acted.

The soldiers in front of her stood paralyzed in surprise as their rifles were violently yanked out of their hands and tossed away somewhere behind Lucy. They stood frozen, perhaps wondering why they were still alive. Lucy glared at her stunned foes as she heard the footsteps of her group coming closer. Daisuke appeared first in her peripheral vision, his rifle aimed at the men.

"Surprised?" Lucy spat, "don't be. You're not worth it."

Kouta came next by her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. She immediately clutched his hand.

"On your knees! Now!" Daisuke commanded, his rifle aimed at both men. They complied instantly, placing their hands behind their heads. Daisuke produced some zip tie cuffs and went about binding their hands behind their backs. Looking back towards Kouta, she drank in the sight of relief in his eyes. She was also grateful she had not had to kill those last two soldiers. Hearing a thump behind them, Lucy turned to see Daisuke standing by the driver's side door, having removed the dead driver.

"Come on," he called out, "before more of them show up."

"I'll take the front," Lucy said automatically, knowing there was a corpse in the passenger side. They walked to the vehicle, Lucy opening her door and dragging out the passenger.

"Guys," came Mayu's voice from behind them. Turning, she looked at Mayu who was pointing at the sidewalk. Looking over, Lucy noticed the soldier who had been on the mounted gun. He was still alive, writhing in pain and clutching at the piece of rebar that was embedded into his shoulder.

"Forget him," Daisuke said, "we don't have time. We've got to…Lucy?"

Lucy had walked away from the car and began to approach the wounded soldier on the sidewalk.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

As she got closer, she noticed the man's eyes widening in terror and he began to try and push with his legs to crawl away from her. She kneeled quickly and grabbed his uniform in two fists.

"Please….p…please…"

"Do you want it out?"

He stared at her for a moment, stunned, before nodding hesitantly.

"Hold your breath," she said in her icy drawl, "because this is going to hurt."

She abruptly yanked the piece of metal out with one of her vectors. He cried out at the sudden pain and clutched at the bleeding wound. She wiped the piece of rebar on his uniform, then stood up and walked back to the car. Once she reached it, and got inside with the others, Daisuke put the vehicle in gear and began to drive off.

"The hell was that?" Daisuke asked after a few moments.

"Couldn't leave him like that," Lucy said simply.

"You care?" Daisuke said, "they're trying to kill us. You should have killed those other two soldiers."

"Why?" came Kouta's voice from the backseat, "Lucy obviously had everything under control. She risked nothing sparing them."

"We're at war here Kouta!" Daisuke shouted.

"Don't you dare yell at him," Lucy said angrily, "and don't presume to tell me who to kill. We're just trying to survive. That doesn't mean I have to just fucking slaughter people! Is that what YOU want to do?"

Daisuke took a deep breath and paused for a moment before replying, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

He sighed again, "I'm just…feeling a little in over my head right now truth told. We're dashing through the streets, got danger all around and it's just…"

"You feel responsible," said Mayu from the backseat, "Bando trusted you to protect us. You're worried about letting him and us down?"

Daisuke sighed again, gripping the steering wheel harder as he drove.

"I'm worried about Nana…"

Silence for a moment after that.

"Daisuke…" Mayu began.

"Why the hell did she have to volunteer? Bando and Ryota are tough sons of bitches. They can handle whatever comes, why did she have to go?"

"Nana is a strong girl," Lucy said in a softer tone, "as strong as me. She'll make it. I know Bando and Ryota are looking out for her just like you're looking out for us."

"Fine job I've been doing so far. I've mostly been following your lead."

"You've been helping me, watching my back," Lucy said, "I can tell you for a fact we wouldn't have gotten this far without you. Now isn't the time to doubt yourself."

Daisuke nodded as he turned off of the highway and onto a smaller street.

"Bando trusted you for a reason," Mayu said, "he wouldn't have if he didn't think you could do this. We're all still alive. I'd say he made the right choice. I trust him. I know he is right for trusting you, and I know he'll make sure nothing happens to Nana. I just know…everyone is going to be ok. We're all going to see each other again."

Daisuke chuckled as he drove, "you're something else Mayu, you know that? All of you are."

"I know you love Nana," Mayu said, "I can see how much you care about her, and us. I wouldn't want anyone else to be here right now."

"Nor I," said Lucy.

Daisuke smiled, "thanks, both of you."

He stole a glance towards Lucy, "about those soldiers…"

"Do you remember that night on the rooftop, when we first met?" she said, "you wanted to kill me."

"I had my orders…"

"No, it was more than that. You believed something about me. Something you had been told. You believed I was a remorseless, soulless killer. You believed I was something that didn't have a shred of humanity in it. For a while, you would have been right."

Lucy reached a hand behind her and felt Kouta grasp it, "I believed it for a long time too. Until someone showed me how wrong I was. Until someone reminded me that I was something more, and that I didn't have to be a destroyer if I didn't want to. I don't want to be that. I could have killed those soldiers. Maybe I even should have, but…"

She felt Kouta squeeze her hand, "I don't care what they say about me. I'm not a monster. I'm not going to run through this city proving them right by killing people when I don't have to. I want the ones that live to remember that I spared them. I want them to remember that I'm not what their superiors say I am. Even if they forget, it doesn't matter. I want to be worthy of my humanity. I'm powerful, but that doesn't mean I have to be a murderer."

They drove in silence for a moment before Daisuke spoke again.

"They're all wrong about you," he said, "all of you. Angel is a psychopath sure, but there are enough of those among human beings. Everything we were told about you were lies. I hope there is some way back from this. Some way for people to see what I see."

"They may not at first," Kouta said, "but one day they will."

Lucy knew after tonight, it would be very likely that the lid would be blown off of the existence of the Diclonius. Angel had all but made sure of that. Tonight would be one of the hardest nights of her life, she knew. But she also knew this was only the beginning.

Suddenly, headlights behind them illuminated their car.

"Shit!" Daisuke exclaimed, "they're on us!"

Lucy immediately exploded into motion, yanking Daisuke's pistol from his waist.

"What the hell are you…."

"Shut the hell up and drive faster! Keep straight! I've got this."

"Lucy?" Kouta said.

"You and Mayu, heads down. I'll handle this," she said darkly, in her cold raspy drawl, preparing herself for the fight.

Using one of her vectors, she forced her door open, using the two more to lift her outside the car. Cold winter air sliced through her as though she were naked. Using those vectors to steady her, she stood on the roof of the car as Daisuke sped down the highway, passing streetlights flashing and flickering as they flew past. Before her were two Institute Humvees bearing down on them at a safe distance from her vectors. Clearly they knew what they were up against. Using her remaining vectors to steady her arms, she aimed the pistol at the driver of the lead car, sucking in her breath and holding it. She then started firing in measured shots, remembering what Bando told her about not firing wildly. The pistol roared with each burst, the sound cutting through the sound of the high speed wind battering her as she fired. Before she had emptied her clip, she noticed the lead car swerve as though it had suddenly lost control. It swerved into an abandoned car half parked on the nearby sidewalk. Once it struck the vehicle it flipped in a storm of metal and shattered glass. The rear car slammed on its brakes to prevent the same fate and wound up sliding along the icy road. The lead car slammed upside down onto the street where the rear car barreled into it and tipped over on its side in a storm of glass and sparks from the grinding metal.

Grinning with triumph, Lucy lifted herself back into the car with her vectors and slammed the door shut. She looked over to Daisuke's stunned face as she stuffed his empty pistol back into his holster.

"Where…did you learn to shoot like that?" Daisuke said.

"I had some practice," Lucy said nonchalantly, "besides, wasn't perfect. Your gun's empty."

Daisuke laughed with relief, "yeah, but you still took out two Institute fast movers with a single clip. You're dangerous lady."

"You should see her try to fix clocks," Kouta said.

"Ass," Lucy said, turning back to Kouta with a smirk.

Daisuke then turned into a side road, leaving the highway behind.

* * *

><p>Arakawa coughed and kept her head down, gripping tightly the pistol she held. More for comfort than anything. All around her, it seemed as though hell was breaking loose.<p>

She rode the lead car behind Nana who was using two dumpsters to set off the mines in their path. The steel dumpsters were shredded and almost completely torn apart from the damage they had sustained thus far. Soldiers were blanketing the rooftops around them with gunfire to ward off snipers who were trying to kill Nana. Fear ripped through Arakawa as everyone fought around her. She had never experienced a full on military conflict like this, and had never in her life ever expected to. Dammit, she was only supposed to ride alone to interact with the Red Sky delivery system, being as she was its designer.

"Incoming!" the driver of her vehicle shouted as he leaned over to take cover. She instinctively grasped his shoulders and held on as an explosion roared near them. She didn't know how much more she could take.

"What's going on!?" she screeched, as though she didn't know, or could be told something different.

"Got contacts on either side bearing down on us," he cried as he lifted his head up slightly. After evidently judging the coast to be generally clear, he began to slowly follow Nana once more.

Suddenly, Arakawa saw Nana falter. She realized Nana had just been shot.

"Oh my god," Arakawa exclaimed, covering her mouth with one hand.

"Number 7 is hit!" the soldier exclaimed on his radio, "I repeat, Number 7 is hit!"

Arakawa felt sudden revulsion to the soldier's reference to her number rather than her name. To this man, and certainly to others, all Nana was to them, was a shield. An asset. Arakawa had come to know Nana, fought with her, survived with her. She wasn't Number 7. She was Nana. Anger burned away the fear as she reached for the vehicle's door and shoved it open.

"What the hell are you doing!?" the soldier cried, trying to snatch at Arakawa. She slapped his hand away and leapt out of the Humvee.

She began to run towards Nana as gunfire and explosion erupted all around her. Arakawa kept her focus. The only thing that mattered was getting to Nana. Muzzle flashes from above got her attention. Arakawa lifted her pistol and began shooting in its direction.

"Fuck you!" she screamed as she emptied the weapon's clip. It likely had done no good, but it had given her courage enough to close the distance to Nana, who was bleeding from her side and appeared to be struggling to stand. Arakawa holstered her pistol and threw one of Nana's arms around hers.

"I got you!" Arakawa shouted.

"Akane…" Nana said in a voice wracked with pain, "I've…never been…shot…"

"I've got you girl, you can do this! Come on, let's go!"

She felt Nana's arm tighten around her as they began walking forward together, bullets and fire blazing around them. Arakawa was beyond fear but knew there was no going back.

"I've…got…you too…Akane."

The dumpsters in front of them began sliding forward again, shoved by an invisible force. More explosions rang in front of them as the mines were set off. As they walked, Arakawa hastily ejected the clip from her pistol and slapped a new magazine in. Her last one. She quickly chambered a round.

"We're going to make it!" Arakawa said, "just push through."

"I'm not…giving…up!"

It only barely occurred to Arakawa that only a week prior, she had despised the Diclonius. Now she was risking her own life for one.

A soldier appeared at a nearby doorway, thinking to finish Nana, who had no time to defend herself against an unexpected attack.

"NOOOO!" Arakawa screamed as she lifted her gun and fired wildly. The soldier, not expecting an armed opponent to be there, slammed against the wall from the force of the bullets from Arakawa's pistol. He fell dead.

"Akane!?"

"Keep going! Don't stop! We're going to make it!"

They kept walking. Smoke and cordite filling Arakawa's nose as they pressed through what seemed like a corridor of hell itself. Gunfire and explosions screamed all around her. All she could do was put her trust in Nana, and the soldiers fighting with her. Just beyond, they saw the side street's exit. Beyond that in the distance, were numerous searchlights shining from a distant structure.

"We're almost through Nana! We can do this! We can make it!"

"Not…giving…up!" Nana said through gritted teeth.

Arakawa holstered her pistol and pressed her hand against Nana's wound on her side to try to staunch the bloodflow as they walked together. From the corner of her eye she saw two gunmen on the roof take position and aim at them. Suddenly one of them jerked and fell forward into the alleyway, while the second was yanked back as though he had been pulled from behind. Bando.

"Bando's up there," Arakawa cried out, "he's watching our back."

"I…know…he…is."

Looking over, Arakawa saw that most of Ryota's soldiers began focusing their fire on the other side of the alleyway, opposite from where Bando was clearly operating. Nana began moving forward more quickly, the mines completely destroyed, and the opposition decimated. After a few more moments, they emerged from the alleyway. Arakawa could see some of Ghost's men trying to run away, but being mercilessly gunned down by Ryota's soldiers as the convoy took a defensive position at the alleyway's exit. Arakawa could hardly believe it. They had made it. They had survived the ambush.

Nana sagged in her arms as she realized the battle was over for the moment. Arakawa kneeled down with Nana and let her onto the ground gently.

"Nana…are you ok?"

"It hurts…but…I'm ok."

"Medic!" Arakawa screamed stupidly, "she's hurt!"

Soldiers ran around them, past them, hardly noticing Nana.

"Goddamn it!" Arakawa screamed, "someone fucking help her right fucking now!"

She felt a hand at her shoulder and saw Ryota there, staring at her for a moment before he began flagging soldiers down.

"You, with the med supplies!" Ryota shouted, "over here! Now!"

He then turned to Nana, cupping her cheek in his hand.

"You saved us Nana. The enemy did not expect our move. We destroyed nearly all of them involved in the attack. We could not have accomplished this without you. Ghost is weakened thanks to you."

Nana smiled slightly through the pain as soldiers moved up next to her and lifted her from Arakawa's arms.

"Ryota…" she began, but was stopped as he encircled her in his arms tightly, almost painfully. She didn't care.

"Damn you Akane," he whispered, "what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking she needed my help, and no one else cared enough to do it. Ryota I had to…"

"I…I know," he said, "you were not wrong…I just…"

Arakawa reached her arms around his neck and kissed him roughly on his lips. Adrenaline was charging through her system and she knew it was the cause of her spontaneous affection. Somehow, it felt right.

"Akane…"

"These could be our last moments right?" she said breathlessly, "I'm not going to waste them."

A sound behind her got her attention. Bando, rappelling down from the building he had been clearing.

"Motherfuckers didn't put up much of a fight," he said as he was moving towards them, "apparently they didn't expect someone coming up from behind to fuck their asses."

Ryota blinked, "you've a way with words Bando."

He clapped Ryota on the shoulder as he reached him, "what's our status?"

"Minimal losses. Ghost's forces expected to tear us apart in the ambush. They weren't prepared for our detour and Nana's presence. Most of their assault force has been destroyed. Survivors have fled for Ghost's HQ, but their numbers will not significantly impact the force he already has there. We won this fight."

"And we're going to win the next one," he said. He looked down then at Nana who was receiving field medic care from two soldiers who had stopped.

"How are you feeling?" he said.

"It hurts…" Nana replied.

"Can you go on?"

"I want to go on," Nana said vehemently, "I said I was coming to make sure Ghost pays for what he's done to me and my family. I swore Bando. I swore to him. I promised him I would make him give back every drop of blood he took from me…"

"And he will," Bando assured her, "you've gotten us this far. We're going to see this to the end. I swear, we're going to see this to the end."

Nana then looked at Arakawa, "thank you Akane…"

"We're in this together," Arakawa replied, "until the end."

Arakawa stared outwards towards the structure where she knew Ghost's main force was located. As hellish as the ambush had been, she knew that the true struggle was coming. But they were strong, and they were ready.

They would end this tonight. In a matter of hours.

* * *

><p>It was the waiting that was killing him. The absence of motion. Of events, though he knew they were coming, and knew the darkness they would bring. It was like an oncoming storm. Seeing the dark clouds overhead and knowing the rain could come at any moment. It was just about waiting for that first drop.<p>

The waiting room was completely deserted, the hospital sounds muted now with most of the soldiers gone and everyone else in a hushed state of dread. Erich felt at peace, and yet a gnawing anxiety coursed through him. Numb but not quite. Aloof, but not quite.

He stared out of the glass windows in front of him, watching the first snow falling, illuminated by the synthetic lights all around. Deep shadows stretched outward beyond those flickering islands of light. He imagined Angel there, watching him. It was an easy enough image to pull from his memory. How many nights had he spent behind the glass, watching her as she slept in her enclosure. He'd known she'd been awake most of those times. Had she known he was there, watching her? Perhaps hoping he would come to see her? In the dead of the night, silence all around? What if he had been honest with her from the beginning? What if he could have known what he'd felt back then? What if he could have told her what she clearly had always known?

He needed her to know. That was all that mattered now. He needed her to know as much as he needed her to die.

Over the past several hours he had been consumed with what Kouta and Lucy had said to him. Thinking hard about what they had said, and coming to grips with his own feelings. There was no denying it anymore. He was in love with her. Lucy had been right. Admitting it, knowing it, was both liberating and terrifying.

"Mr. Vanith?" came a small, feminine voice from behind him. He did not turn around. Didn't care to. He didn't even respond, so consumed in his own thoughts.

"I saw you earlier, talking to Kouta for a long time when they came in."

At the mention of Kouta's name, Erich turned his head just enough to make out the speaker in his peripheral vision. He recognized her as Kouta's cousin, Yuka. He was surprised to see her walking around, and that the orderlies didn't insist upon her remaining in her bed. Most gunshot victims weren't permitted to go traversing about hospitals, but considering the circumstances and reduced staff, he supposed it wasn't all that surprising that no one stopped her. She was fully dressed in what looked like a warm coat over a long dress.

Remembering that she was likely in significant discomfort, he turned to face her fully, knowing that it would have been more than idle conversation that would have brought her out here to see him. Or perhaps it was simply that the idle conversation with a man who knew things she wanted to know was important enough for her.

"I did," Erich said, "we had much to discuss."

She nodded.

"How are you feeling?" said Erich, "I'm surprised you're being allowed to walk around the hospital."

"No one stopped me," Yuka replied, "I guess there's so much going on for them to notice a patient walking around. Everyone's got more important things on their mind I guess."

"They should," Erich said quietly before turning back to the glass doors and continued to stare outside at the falling snow. Wouldn't be much longer now. It was good Yuka was here.

They stood in uncomfortable silence for a while. Well, perhaps more uncomfortable for her. Erich felt strangely at peace. Anxiety gnawed at him, but somehow couldn't touch him. It was as though he were having an out of body experience.

"Why don't you sit down?" Erich said without turning to face her, motioning towards one of the chairs in the waiting room. After a few moments, she nervously walked around to the chair, her shoes clacking loudly in the empty room, echoing off the walls. She did not sit, but instead turned to face Erich, who finally looked in her direction.

"Suit yourself," he said.

Another silence. Erich could feel the words in the air, unspoken. Feel her anxiety and fear like a mist that brushed by him and tickled at his flesh.

"You're waiting," she said simply.

"I am," he replied.

"For what?"

He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I saw the rest of the soldiers leave," she pressed, "you ordered them to, didn't you?"

He had. Their presence would have been useless. No longer needed. At least not here, not now. He'd given them their final orders hours ago.

Yuka took a step towards him as he saw bright lights begin to flash in the windows behind her. Finally.

"What are you waiting for?"

Tires screeching, more lights, men exiting vehicles. Yuka whirled around to the sight of silhouettes passing in front of car headlights.

"I'm waiting for her," Erich said simply, causing Yuka to spin back around to face him as the first of the men walked inside, guns at the ready, clearing the room.

"Keep calm," Erich said, "I'll handle this."

Yuka turned around to see the room suddenly filled with uniformed soldiers. She gasped and took a step backwards towards Erich, who gently grasped her shoulder with one hand as he stepped in front of her.

"Calm," Erich repeated, "and stay where you are."

He waited as the soldiers swept through the room, a few remaining behind while others went on a sweep of the hospital. Two men covered Erich and Yuka, their guns trained on them. He felt Yuka's trembling hands grasp the back of his suit.

"What's happening?" Yuka said in a fearful voice.

"My ride is here," Erich said dryly as he watched Westmore enter the building behind his soldiers. He wasn't even dressed in tactical gear or body armor. He entered looking immaculate in what appeared to be a new, freshly pressed suit. Erich chuckled to himself. He too, would have felt compelled to cut a good appearance for what Westmore would surely be thinking was his triumphant moment.

Westmore strolled leisurely towards Erich, an arrogant smirk on his face.

"I hope I'm not interrupting…anything…am I?" Westmore said.

"Actually, you're right on time," Erich replied, "you can tell the grunts they're wasting their time clearing the hospital. The soldiers are all gone. It's only me."

"It's not a waste of time, and they're not looking for soldiers."

"Then what…"

Erich was interrupted as the first shots rang out deeper in the building, followed by screams. The patients, doctors, nurses. Erich's hands fisted.

"What the hell is this Westmore? What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"It's not what I'm doing. It's what you're doing."

"What?"

"You had Diclonius in this building and you're trying to kill as many witnesses as you can, despite the fact that your damn monster just let the cat out of the bag for the whole city. That's going to be a tricky problem, but nothing a little media manipulation can't fix."

More gunshots, more screams. Westmore continued.

"These people, unfortunately, have seen the monsters with their own eyes. I can't let them leave. Or perhaps I should say, you Erich, couldn't let them leave."

"You son of a bitch Westmore."

"Don't you stand there and judge me, you hypocrite. You'd have made the same call in my place. Does that girl cowering there know that about you? You realize she has to go too…"

Yuka's hands fisted on Westmore's shirt and she began to wail.

"But not me," Erich said, "because I'm to be the scapegoat for this whole thing?"

"Catching on quick."

"And that'll make you the last man standing," Erich said, "brilliant."

"You know, I really did take what you said earlier this week to heart. There's a new dawn coming, but all of you have had things the wrong way. You want to control and study. Look where that got you. Look at what's happening here Erich! What's BEEN happening all over the world and especially here. They cannot be kept, they cannot be controlled. Number 5 practically turned this city upside down just by herself. It's not really a new dawn as such Erich. It's a war. My Institute has been the only one that has been preparing for that war. Realistically. I will ensure that the others begin preparing for that war as well. You and the others, you let this happen. Let this get out of control. I'm taking control back. My way. The only way."

"So what was that spiel the other day? That bullshit you told me about wresting control?"

Westmore smirked, "it was exactly that. Bullshit. The kind of thing you'd say. The kind of thing you've said. It was useful for getting under your skin. Making you publicly oppose me so that I could orchestrate a reason why you might. A reason that will make you publically reviled."

"And you the hero who saved the city from me."

"Just doing my part for the human race. Like you once did," he replied sardonically.

Erich knew he had been walking into a trap that day he walked away from Westmore at the Kamakura Institute. He just hadn't know what form that trap would take. Now he knew. Not that it mattered. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing except Angel.

"You're going to die tonight Westmore," Erich said quietly.

He chuckled, "I'm sure."

"Do whatever you're going to do," Erich said, "but you let this girl live."

"I don't think so Erich, please stand aside."

Yuka cried out, Erich stood firm.

"You'll let her live if you want my cooperation."

"I don't need your cooperation."

"Yes you do. If you have a hope in hell of stopping Angel you will need me. This is the only thing we both still want. I've always been her target from the beginning. I can give you time, perhaps even an effective distraction. I can give you the seconds you need to kill her. Without me, she will wade through your men like they were children. You remember what she did at the Institute here? She can, and will, do it again to you. And then when she's through massacring your men, she'll be standing over you with a knife, and you will take a long time to die. I'm the only fucking chance you have to get out of this alive, so if you still want that, you will let this girl live."

"You think a little too much of your 'perfect weapon' Erich."

"You're still prepared to underestimate her? Even after admitting she singlehandedly turned this city upside down? No, not even you believe that Westmore."

They stared at one another for a long time in a tense silence, broken only by the sounds of gunfire that were beginning to taper off. Nearly everyone dead.

"She comes with us," he said finally.

"She stays with me," Erich replied.

"What is she to you anyway?" Westmore asked.

"A chance to do at least one thing right."

Westmore chuckled again, "suit yourself. Please follow us."

Westmore turned and began walking away. The two soldiers that had flanked them, moved behind them and began to usher Erich and Yuka ahead. He started walking, Yuka in tow, grasping his arm tightly. The anxiety melted away from Erich as they walked; events having finally begun. He absently fingered the device in his pocket as they walked. How foolish of Westmore to be so arrogant as to not even bother searching him.

Not that finding it was going to save him.

* * *

><p>Lucy stared numbly at the scene before her. All of them did.<p>

"Jesus…Christ…" Daisuke whispered.

It was the safehouse they had been making their way towards, but it had been completely destroyed. Fires leapt from windows where charred bodies hung. On the ground around the two story building were bodies. Everywhere. Some had been shot, but most looked like they had been simply sliced or ripped apart. Civilians and soldiers alike. Blood covered everything and the smell of death was everywhere. Lucy knew what this meant.

"She did this," Lucy said, hatred and disgust in her voice, "Angel. She did this."

"But…why?" Mayu said in a small voice.

"How do you know?" Kouta asked.

"The frenzied violence, the fact that most of them have been cut apart and ripped to shreds. No Kouta, I know it's her. It couldn't be anyone else."

"But then why would she do this?" Daisuke asked.

"She's on a rampage," Lucy said, "but I think there's a purpose to it. I wouldn't be surprised if there had been survivors."

"Sure as hell doesn't look that way," Daisuke said.

"That news broadcast earlier," she said, "she wants people to know it's her. Or at least that it's us. The Diclonius. She would want people to escape to spread the word. To spread fear. To tell people that…"

She paused for a moment.

"Tell people what?" Kouta asked.

"To tell people there is nowhere to hide. Nowhere that's safe."

Daisuke roared in frustrated rage, "what the fuck!? These people didn't deserve to die!"

"No," Lucy said sadly, "they didn't."

"We've got to stop her," Daisuke said breathlessly, "we just…have to."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kouta snap to attention and begin searching his pockets. Lucy turned towards him.

"Kouta, what is it?"

She saw him retrieve a small device from his pocket and turn it on. It began to make a slow rhythmic beeping sound and bright lights flashed on the device's monitor.

"I…just remembered this," Kouta said, "Erich gave it to me before we left the hospital."

"That's a GPS tracker!" Daisuke said, "let me see that!"

Daisuke took the device from Kouta, studying it intently.

"Erich told me to wait to turn this on, and that it would lead us to Angel."

All looked towards Kouta with a measure of surprise before Daisuke spoke again.

"Then Erich has to be carrying the bug. I see his signal is moving down one of the main highways. Fast, like he's in a vehicle. Jesus…did he make a break for it? Did he know where Angel was hiding?"

"No," Lucy said, knowing, "he just expected Angel to be watching him. Waiting."

"He's using himself as bait," Kouta said, realizing what was happening.

"Is that why he's leaving the hospital?" Mayu asked, "because he didn't want anyone else involved?"

Daisuke cursed loudly, "SHIT! Why didn't I see it before!?"

"What?"

"Vanith is the man Westmore needs to put this thing down his way. Vanith is the only executive power left on our side. I was asking myself why the hell he'd remain behind with a fraction of his forces at his disposal. I think Westmore was waiting for Ryota to make his move on Ghost. I think Ghost and Red Sky were just a lure to get Ryota out of that hospital so Westmore could move in and apprehend Vanith."

"So Red Sky isn't the end game?"

"I highly doubt it. In fact, I think Westmore doesn't even expect it to work, though I'm sure it would be convenient for him if it did. Sabotage or not."

"So what is?" Lucy said worriedly, remembering the inklings of a conversation she'd had with Takashi earlier.

"I have an awful feeling he's going to let this whole city go. Like he has a contingency plan in case of a worst case scenario. Follow what I'm saying here?"

Lucy looked over towards Kouta and Mayu, who both looked scared. Lucy was scared as well. She understood what Daisuke was suggesting.

"We can't let that happen either," Kouta said, "all of the people here are just caught in the middle. Can't we do something?"

"We can," Lucy said, her voice hardening, "if what Daisuke says is true, then Westmore will be with him, and eventually so will Angel. We can find them. Catch up to them. And we can finish this. We can stop this ourselves."

"Do you really think we can?" Daisuke said.

"What choice do we have? We've all come this far. We've got one night to make this right. So…let's make this right."

She hated asking Kouta to follow her, but what choice did they have? Angel had made things abundantly clear. There was no place safe. No place to hide. She looked at him, fear spiking through her at the thought of losing him.

"Kouta…"

"I know," was all he said. All that needed to be said.

Daisuke strolled to a nearby soldier and grabbed a pistol from his holster as well as two clips of ammo. These he handed to Kouta.

"I'll teach you how to use this on the way. I hope like hell you don't have to use it. Mayu, I already know you're armed."

"And I know how to use it," she said.

They stood for a moment, looking at one another, preparing themselves for what they would have to do. They knew they would be on their way to a battle soon. A bloodbath. Lucy knew they were all thinking the same thing. If they would all still be alive at the end. Whether or not now would be the best time to say goodbye. Lucy's heart felt squeezed with pain.

"Then…what are we waiting for?" Lucy said reluctantly, "let's go get them."

Daisuke nodded knowingly, and started for the car. Lucy fell into step with Kouta and grasped his arm with both of hers. She watched Mayu walk alone and guilt crawled through her. She must have been feeling so very lonely and sick with worry about Bando. As they reached the car, she unwound herself from Kouta and took Mayu's shoulder.

"Mayu,"

"Yeah?" she said in a watery voice that she was obviously trying very hard not to betray.

"You'll see him again," she said.

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do. After everything he's been through, everything he's survived? He will come back."

Tears slipped down Mayu's face, but her expression remained cold.

"I love him…I miss him…I'm scared for him," she said in a raspy whisper.

Lucy gathered Mayu into a quick fierce hug, Mayu holding on tightly enough to dig her fingernails into Lucy's skin. Mayu pushed away, wiping her eyes.

"Let's get this over with so I can see him again."

Lucy nodded and offered her a brave smile before getting in the car and settling next to Kouta who took her hand in one of his, and wrapped his other arm around her shoulder. Daisuke started the car and they drove away, Daisuke following the signal on the GPS tracker. As they drove, they saw death and destruction scattered about. In the distance there were soft, flickering lights as though from distant fires, as well as sharp lights, as though from muzzle flashes. It was like the whole world around them had gone mad. As mad as the one who had brought this darkness upon them. Kamakura was burning all around them. It was a place of fire. Of pain. Of death.

Lucy let rage begin to boil within her, thinking of everything Angel had done to them. Soon, they would meet again. Soon, they would finally settle things between them.

Only one of them would live to see the sunrise.


	46. Reborn in Flames

**A/N: Hello guys. As is unfortunately becoming typical of me, it's been a long wait in between chapters. My personal life got turned quite upside down, but for the better! It's just been crazy readjusting to an almost entirely new life and routine, but as always, I eventually return to this story. Told one of my faithful readers I'd have this out before the year was up and while I sure as hell waited to the last day, I'm a man of my word. So here is chapter 46, and happy new year to all of you!**

* * *

><p>Snow fell into the cold, large, empty room through the holes and rips in the ceiling and walls. Sparse moonlight and synthetic light from the various floodlights crept their way in, but only so far, as though afraid to get to close to him. Ghost breathed slowly, his breath visible in the air like smoke. He felt a cold calm, which had settled over him the moment he had learned Ryota and Bando had broken free of his trap. Now they were coming. The wait was over.<p>

_You ready for this Katsuo?_

"Been ready for a long time."

But there was some fear. As much as he wanted vengeance on Ryota for the lies and death of his old friends, he didn't know if he could pull the trigger when the moment came. And he knew that moment would come. He would make it this far. Ghost knew.

He clenched his fists, nails digging into the leather of his fingerless gloves, then absently trailed a hand across the steel grip of his .50 caliber pistol. He drew the weapon fluidly and pointed it outwards towards the open double doors, hand steady, aim sure. In his mind's eye, he saw them. Ryota, and Bando. Dead to rights, and no escape. He pulled the trigger.

Click.

But in his mind, he heard the explosion like a lion's roar. He could almost feel the recoil of the monstrous weapon, could smell the cordite in the air. He saw them lying dead on the ground. Saw the smoke in the air from the gun barrel.

The cold couldn't touch him now. The discomfort was a distant, insignificant thing.

Aim. Shoot. Reload. The cycle of his life. The only thing he had left.

"Come on you motherfuckers," Ghost whispered darkly to himself…

_We're waiting for you…_

"We're waiting for you…"

* * *

><p>Looming before them, was the dark shape of the bleak, imposing industrial building that Ghost's forces had set up in. Bando stared with hard eyes at the building; somewhere in there Ghost was waiting. It was a tense silence, or at least as silent as it could be with soldiers making final preparations. Bando could see the dark silhouettes of men at the industrial complex running around urgently. They knew Bando and Ryota's men were out there. They were just waiting for them to knock on the front door.<p>

"So," Bando said to Ryota, breaking the silence, "what's the plan?"

"Shock and awe," Ryota said, "bit of a western tactic but I believe it will serve our purposes here."

"Meaning?"

Ryota turned to Nana, "how are you feeling girl?"

"Angry," Nana said, in a voice that made Bando really, truly believe it.

"Good, hold onto that. You're going to need it."

"What do you want me to do?"

Ryota paused for a moment, starting at the fortifications in front of them. There was a giant steel door that had been hastily constructed around barricades and razor wire. Guards manned nearby towers and waited near the inside of the door.

"I want you to lead our men up that road and unleash such devastation like they have never known in their lives. I want you to be flamboyant and dramatic in your anger. I want them to feel that they aren't the target of a military operation. I want them to feel like this is personal. I want them to be afraid. I want them on their radios, screaming and begging for backup. I want you to be their worst nightmare and if any survive, I want thoughts of you to keep them up at night. I want you to break their will."

Bando looked at Nana, who was beginning to pale at Ryota's words.

"Ryota…" Bando started, but was silenced with a look.

"I want all of their attention right here, on this front door. So that Bando, Arakawa, myself, and a small strike team can infiltrate the building without attracting too much notice. Remember, our primary targets are Ghost and Red Sky. Once both are neutralized, we can evacuate. The sooner we accomplish this, the sooner we can help the rest of our allies in stopping Westmore…and Number 5."

"Angel…" Nana hissed, the anger flooding back into her eyes.

"You have your men picked out?" Bando asked.

"Got a five man squad to go with us. As long as we move quickly and keep contact with the enemy to a relative minimum, it should be all we need."

Ryota then looked towards Arakawa who was crouched down with them, looking nervous.

"There WILL be contact with the enemy however. Are you going to be ok Akane?"

"I'm ready," she said quickly, "let's….let's just do this."

Ryota looked at her for a long time, before nodding his head. He then got on his radio.

"All units, check weapons and gear and prepare to attack. This is it. Fall in behind Seraph and keep her covered. She will tear down their fortifications and spearhead the assault. Once those doors come down…give them hell. Show no mercy, for they will show you none."

Banco made a face and looked at Nana who returned a questioning look. Seraph?

Ryota adjusted the frequency on his radio, then spoke again.

"Alpha squad, meet us on the southeast corner of the building and bring the breach sticks. We will infiltrate via the loading bays and work our way up the building. Move out."

Bando fished around in the pack he had filled up upon reaching the building and pulled out an earpiece connected to a small radio device. This he handed to Nana.

"Put this on."

"What…?"

"It's a radio. It'll keep you connected to the squad. They'll keep you updated on enemy positions, imminent threats, and vice versa."

"I don't know if I can do that…"

"Nana, you can do this. After everything you've done and been through, you can do this. Worst comes to worst, just think of yourself as the battering ram. Drill right through those motherfuckers. That's all you need to worry about. The men will do the rest and back you up."

He saw Ryota pause for a moment, as if though in thought, he then got back on his radio.

"All units get ready to move. Seraph is taking point, so provide cover. Sweep the yard and push the enemy back into the front offices. Seraph will spearhead the assault. We move in twenty minutes."

"Um…" Nana said, somewhat meekly, "who…is Seraph?"

Ryota smiled, "you are."

Bando's brow furrowed as he looked at Ryota, "Seraph?"

"Why not? I thought it was preferable to having her name, which is well known to the enemy, spoken aloud on local radio chatter, or in earshot…"

"What difference does it make? The enemy will know who we're talking ab…"

"Also," Ryota said, cutting Bando off, "I think we would all agree it sounds much better than Number 7, wouldn't you agree Nana?"

Bando saw Nana crack a smile.

"Seraph," she said, testing the name on her tongue.

"I'll take that as a yes," Ryota said, "you're a part of this unit so I decided you could use a codename. The rest of the men have already been briefed on your handle. Interestingly enough, many of the men never knew your name to begin with so don't be too surprised if some of these men continue to refer to you as Seraph when this is over."

"So," Bando said, "she gets a codename and I don't?"

"I was thinking Mowgli."

"…Mowgli?"

"From Kipling's 'The Jungle Book'. Boy raised on his own in the wild. What do you think?"

"I'm thinking if you call me that over the radio, I'll put a boot in your ass."

"So 'Bando' it is then," he said dryly.

Ryota breathed a sigh, "it's time. Bando, Akane, let's go finish this."

Ryota began to move away into the darkness. Arakawa stopped as she walked near Nana. She took Nana's face in her hands and kissed her cheek. She looked like she wanted to cry.

"Nana….I…"

"Go," she said quietly, raising a hand and putting it over one of Arakawa's, who wiped at her eyes with her other hand, and pulled Nana into a quick hug.

"Don't you dare let them get you Nana. You do EXACTLY what Ryota said. Burn them down."

"I will," she whispered.

Arakawa walked away, and Bando stepped forward. They looked at each other for a long while.

Enemies once. Like him and Lucy. Like him and the Diclonius. Like him against the world.

"I'm damn proud of you girl," he said, "I've never been so glad to be so wrong about anything in my life. And I was wrong about you. Both of you. You and Lucy."

Nana swallowed, "thank you Bando."

Bando turned the corner of his mouth up in a smile.

"Give em hell…Seraph. This is your moment so you shine like the damn sun, you hear me?"

Nana's gaze turned watery and she stepped forward, throwing her arms around Bando.

"Come back alive," she said.

"You too."

They parted and Bando quickly turned around and started walking away.

_Here I come Ghost. Hope you're fucking ready._

* * *

><p>Nana stepped forward onto the road, just outside of the lights but they were illuminating her gently.<p>

She remembered herself as a prisoner at the Institute. Afraid, always afraid, but drowning it in the one thing she'd felt she was living for. A father she never really knew. A father who wasn't really her father. A dream. She had been alive, but not living, and always afraid. There, on an operating table, afraid and alone, was where she died the first time.

She began to walk forward. The soldiers in her peripheral vision disappearing as they watched her walk alone towards the enemy, entrenched behind steel, razor wire, and countless guns.

She had been reborn on the beach. Emerging from her coffin into a new world and a new life, but things were still the same. Life had begun, but she had still been afraid. The world didn't make sense to her and all she knew was that it feared and hated her. Her family kept her, protected her, shielded her. Gave her comfort and warmth, but dread always painted her world black around the edges. Knowing that warmth couldnt last. And then Mariko had come back.

This was how she'd truly known her life had been a lie. Even who she thought she was or who she thought Kurama was. Just a lie.

The gravel crunched beneath her feet as she began to take faster steps, anger building inside of her. The lights began to shine on her and she could more clearly see the heavily falling snow against those lights. Some of that light reflected off of the falling ice to throw out crystalline glimmers as far as she could see. Cold wind blew her long coat and tossed her hair wildly about.

She remembered that explosion. That awful moment in her life. She saw it before her like life flashing before her eyes, removing the sight of Ghost's men and the industrial building. The explosion that killed Kurama and Mariko. There, as she watched, was when she died for the second time.

She heard yelling in the distance. They could see her.

She hadn't felt fear after that second death. Just a hollow existence where she could feel only pain and loss. The fear had remained as well. Fear to live again. Fear to love again. So she'd stayed distant, from nearly everyone. Except Mayu.

So much had changed since then. Not only did she still have the love and support of her new family, but she had a purpose. She had seen former enemies reject their old hatreds and prejudices. She had watched them develop trust, faith, and respect for her. And now, she had been shown the ultimate display of faith and trust. Without her, this mission would fail. She would strike the first blow. They were all counting on her. She would not fail.

She grit her teeth and broke into a sprint, running headlong, and alone, into the steel jaws of death and impossible odds.

Here, on this night, she was born again. But now, there was no more fear. Only purpose.

Tonight, she was Seraph. Tonight, she was an avenger.

No more fear. Never again.

Too late, the soldiers before her realized what was about to happen. She saw them raising their weapons but it was already too late. She opened her mouth…

…and screamed in rage.

Born again, with fire in her heart.

She hurled all of her vectors outwards with inhuman strength towards the steel door. Upon impact, there was a deafening crash as the force of the impact sent the massive steel doors flying completely off of their hinges. Razor wire caught on the doors flew outwards and caught a few unlucky soldiers who were swept off their feet, incapacitated. The doors flew out into the guard towers on either side, splintering the flimsy, and hastily constructed metal supports that held it up. The towers went down like a straw house hit by a tidal wave.

She kept running. Men lay strewn on the ground before her, dazed. Nana let her anger wash away everything else and began destroying them one by one, thinking only that each one she killed, was one who couldn't kill one of hers. Some began fighting back, but she easily deflected their bullets. There were nearby Humvees. She quickly dashed away to get behind one, then used all her strength to focus all her vectors on lifting it, then launched it outwards towards another cluster of men who screamed and scattered out of their cover to get out of the way.

Nana could hear chatter in her earpiece.

"_That's it, that's it! Seraph has breached the compound! Move in! Go! Go!"_

Two trucks moved in with mounted guns and set up by the offices. They had a clear shot of the open door.

"Look out!" Nana screamed stupidly before she remembered. She deflected more gunfire and ran for another car for cover, holding the call button on her radio.

"Mounted guns! They'll kill you walking in!"

"_Copy that Seraph, mortar teams, get some fire in that courtyard. We're twenty meters from the breach point, give me some degrees on the mortars."_

"Uh…" Nana said, having no idea how to answer that. She knew what mortars were however.

"Just fire them straight at the door. Straight through it!"

"_Say again Seraph, a horizontal shot? Through the door?"_

Soldiers got the angle on her and started firing. She stopped their bullets until they had to reload, then flung all the ones she caught back at them at high speed. All the attacking soldiers flew backwards, dead. She got back on her radio.

"JUST DO IT!"

"_Understood, incoming!"_

The men on the mounted guns began firing in the direction of the door, trying to keep out the advancing soldiers. Nana heard the sound of two mortars firing and quickly dashed from her hiding place. As they came through the opening, she used a quick, light touch of her vectors to direct them to the gunner's vehicles. Deafening explosions rang out as the cars went up in a storm of fire, steel, and smoke.

"You're clear!" Nana screamed, before raising her guard to head for another vehicle for cover.

Ryota's men began to spill into the courtyard in a storm of gunfire. The sound was nonstop and deafening. The scale of it was the likes which she had never seen. She nearly succumbed to panic, but then remembered that Ryota had trusted her to bring those feelings and panic to the enemy. Not to harbor them herself.

She remembered how Ghost had hurt her, tortured her, beat her, tormented Mayu, Arakawa, threatened her family. She remembered her dark promise to him.

Anger flooding back into her heart, she strode out of cover and began walking purposefully towards the enemy where they were dug in. They fired at her but it was useless. They couldn't touch her, couldn't even graze her. She walked across the battlefield as if she were the only one there. She saw the enemy retreating bit by bit, just because she was walking towards them. The sight emboldened her.

"_Seraph's got em on the run, fall in and get her some cover goddamn it! Let's sweep the yard! Seraph, we've got you! Take em down!"_

"Copy that," she said darkly, as she lashed out with her vectors once more, smiting all around her in a storm of dust, steel, snow, and blood.

* * *

><p>They could hear the explosions from their corner of the complex. There had been a significant guard presence on that wall before then. Bando figured that perhaps Ghost thought they'd try to come in the back door. Which was true, but it seemed Ghost felt it would have been more likely they'd attack here. They probably hadn't really counted on them boldly kicking down their front door. Nearly all the guards had been pulled off of the loading bays to reinforce the men in the courtyard. The last two men standing on the wall didn't know they were about to die. Bando sighted his target with his sniper rifle, Ryota next to him doing the same.<p>

"On my mark," Ryota said quietly, waiting a moment.

"…mark," he said simply.

They pulled the triggers of their silenced weapons and the two guards fell dead instantly. Bando and Ryota handed the guns back to the soldiers who had been carrying them and the group rushed quickly to the heavily padlocked gate. The lock and chains were far too thick for bolt cutters and using them to cut around the gate would have taken time they didn't have.

"Breach stick," Bando said holding his hand out. One of the men gave him a long covered rod, two feet in length. He twisted the cap and quickly removed it to expose the metal which quickly heated due to the chemical reaction. The metal glowed red, almost laserlike, in the dark. Bando passed it through the lock and chains as if they were butter, then tossed the glowing blade into a nearby pile of snow which hissed with steam before the blade finally went out.

"We're in, let's go," Bando said, pushing the gate open and bringing his assault rifle to bear. They moved quickly and quietly through the empty loading bay, keeping their eyes open for any patrols. Two soldiers equipped with night vision scanned the windows for movement. In the distance, they could hear the battle raging on in the courtyard. He hoped Nana was giving them one hell of a hard time.

They crossed the bay until they reached a set of double doors. Bando retrieved another breach stick, lit it, and pushed it through the lock. The group swiftly entered the room, checking corners and any conceivable direction they could be attacked in. The room looked like some sort of large processing area for materials unknown. It was empty and quiet. Bando didn't like it. A look towards Ryota told him that Ryota was having the same thought.

"We keep moving," Bando said quietly, "Red Sky will be on the third floor. That's our first priority."

They started moving again, their steps seeming to echo too loudly for Bando's taste. Were they really all outside repelling Nana and the others?

"It's too quiet," Arakawa whispered.

"Noticed that huh?" Bando replied.

With a hand motion, Bando ordered the other men to fan out and start checking the catwalks. Slowly and methodically, the group proceeded along the factory floor. A particularly loud boom from somewhere outside made all crouch down in unison.

"It's hell on earth out there," Arakawa said.

"Not just there," came a voice from up high, "it's everywhere."

All pointed their weapons upwards to the catwalks, Bando training his own on where the voice had come from. Clanging sounds on metal told Bando that men were pouring in from somewhere upstairs to take positions on the catwalks.

"Get to cover!" Bando yelled as he pulled Arakawa aside and behind a large machine.

The sounds of footsteps persisted as Bando could now see some of the soldiers upstairs. Lights started flickering on from gun barrels and began to shine downwards. Bando stayed behind his cover, wanting to asses the situation, without being blinded by gun lights.

"Ghost!" Bando yelled, "that you up there asshole?"

"Got it in one, shithead."

Bando's gaze flickered over to Ryota who's face remained coldly neutral. Bando turned his head back upwards.

"Why don't we cut the bullshit here? This is between us! Let's you and me end this. Just us."

"Sure, just tell your people to throw down their guns and come out with their hands up and we can deal."

Silence on both sides for a moment, before Ghost's derisive laughter rang out.

"So no then? At least you don't actually believe your own bullshit."

"That rocket's bogus and you know it. Hell, even Westmore's got to know it. Why else would we go to all this trouble just to be wrong? Westmore's set you up you stupid son of a bitch! Why else do you think he's not here?"

"I don't give a fuck about the rocket Bando. If you can stop it, stop it. Hell, I might even let you," he chuckled, "but then again maybe not. You're right you know, this is between us. But not just us."

Another silence before Ghost's voice rang out even louder.

"Ryota! You down there too? I know you are. You'd want to be here wouldn't you?"

Ryota opened his mouth silently a few times before actually speaking, "I'm here Katsuo."

"Still insist on calling me that, even after I asked you not to? Even after I told you why? All those years ago?"

Ryota did not answer, but instead closed his eyes.

"You know Ryota, it doesn't matter now. I remember. I remember everything. You know that don't you?"

"Katsuo, it is you and I who must resolve this. Would you let your men gun me down? Would you let any other but yourself finish this?"

Ghost didn't answer. Bando's hackles were beginning to rise. He could feel that things were going to explode at any moment. He'd taken stock of the situation. The soldiers didn't bother surrounding them. At least not in any way visible. It was likely Ghost was expecting the indomitable display of force to coax them into a hasty retreat back the way they came. If that doorway wasn't mined now, there was probably at least a few soldiers in position to mow them down as they went out the door. If Ghost was still talking, that likely meant they weren't in position yet, but they would be soon. In addition to any forces Ghost might have ordered further within the facility. They had to act soon, and forcefully. They had to break the line somehow.

Bando got on his radio quietly, "flashbangs, up high, on my mark. Push forward through the factory floor to the main stairwell. Don't stop for anything. Rear guard get frags onto those catwalks."

"I don't think I'll have to worry about that," came Ghost's voice, answering Ryota, "I'm sure if you want it bad enough, you'll find me. You were always good. Let's see how good you really are…"

"Katsuo, you're making a mist…"

"MARK!" Bando screamed, throwing up a flashbang grenade along with several of the other soldiers. Loud cracks rang out and gun lights swayed.

"MOVE!" Bando yelled out as he broke from cover, firing his rifle wildly upwards and running forward. Gunfire erupted all around them as Ghost's men fought back. Arakawa nearly stopped moving in terror, but Bando grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryota running past. He had dropped his rifle and drawn two pistols from his holster, firing measured shots as he ran, slowing down only slightly every so often to fire a few rounds where they were needed. His shots sent men down into cover, or dead off of the catwalk when his aim was true. One of Ghost's men tried to cut Ryota off on the ground floor, but Ryota quickly sailed under his guard, and used his momentum to lift the soldier, slamming him onto the ground while going back to a dead run, firing a killing shot downward as he kept moving.

Bando switched to the grenade launcher function of his rifle and threw his arm back, firing once into the supports of one of the catwalks. An explosion rang out, followed by the sounds of grinding metal and screams as the catwalk collapsed. They had almost made it to the main stairwell when he saw two of them men they had taken with them go down in a hail of gunfire from behind them.

"GO GO GO!" Bando screamed, drawing his pistol and shooting several times at the deadbolt lock on the door in front of him. He blasted it off just in time for him to reach it, and shoulder check it open. He lost his balance then and fell, only just noticing the three soldiers who were now preparing to take advantage of his mistake. Before they could, Ryota sailed into the room, guns gripped tightly in his fists as he jumped and savagely kicked the man in front before diving backwards to dodge gunfire. As Ryota's back hit the ground, he pointed his pistols out and emptied them into the bodies of the two remaining men, taking a moment to fire a headshot at the man he'd kicked to the ground.

"Close the fucking door!" Bando shouted at the two remaining soldiers, who immediately complied.

Bando quickly stood up, reloading his assault rifle as Ryota began reloading his pistols.

"Shit!" Bando said, "I was hoping we'd be much farther in before it turned into a full on dustup in here."

"Few things go as planned," Ryota said, checking up the stairs, "we adapt."

"We're outnumbered and two floors away from the rocket!" Arakawa screeched, "please explain how 'adapt' works right now!"

As if to punctuate her point, gunfire rang out from upstairs, to keep them pinned down.

"Got em closing in from down here too!" cried one of the soldiers as he smashed out one of the two windows on the door.

"Well hold them back!" Bando said, reaching for his radio, "adapt my ass. What we need is a damn guardian angel right now."

* * *

><p>The courtyard was complete chaos.<p>

Fire burned everywhere from spilled gasoline and napalm, and smoke filled the air. Gunfire was a constant sound, broken occasionally by explosions. Snow fell heavily and thunder rolled ahead, barely perceptible over the sounds of battle. Nana struggled on, blood in her eyes from a cut on her forehead that came from flying shrapnel. Though it, she continued to shield herself from attack and strike out at enemies nearby, who were learning very quickly to fear the teenage girl in the dark coat.

"_Push them back!" _came Takashi's voice on the radio, _"inside the complex! Bottle them in!"_

Wiping her eyes, she looked over and saw Takashi with a group of men, trading shots with soldiers who had taken position inside the front office building. On her other side, she saw Ryota's men taking wide positions to funnel the survivors in the courtyard back inside the building. Through the pain, she felt a thrill blast through her. They were winning. They were actually winning.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the unmistakable sounds of .50 caliber machine guns from up above. She looked up to see two men had taken position on the roof of the office and were laying down fire with two massive machine guns. The bullets tore through Takashi's men from behind their barricade. And then she saw Takashi go down.

"TAKASHI!" she screamed, taking off forward in a dead run, towards the front offices.

"_Seraph! Shit, get her some fucking cover fire! Now!"_

She screamed as she tore ahead, gunfire peppering the ground all around her. Gunfire behind her roared as the soldiers forced Ghost's men back down. She saw the men in the offices began to stumble back in fear.

She was unleashed. Cut loose. Finally able to vent all of her rage and pain that she'd ever felt in her life and it felt so good it scared her, but couldn't stop her.

She vaulted into the air with her vectors until she was high above the office building. The men with the machines guns were there. The men she'd watched kill those men, and shoot Takashi. She could see the fear in their eyes. Could see their knowledge that doom was coming and there was absolutely nothing they could do to stop it. They threw their hands up as Nana sailed downwards towards them. Death coming as sure as night followed day.

She wanted to spare them in that moment. Their fear cut through her anger. Her rage, which seemed out of her control.

Then one of them went for their gun. Instinct took over and she lashed out, impaling them with her vectors and ending their lives in a blink as she landed gracefully upon the office roof. She froze as she looked outwards, watching Ryota's men close in and fire at the soldiers inside the office. The smell of cordite in the air was suffocating and she could barely see outward for the smoke and the snow. Bodies were everywhere, both on Ryota's, and Ghost's side. The scope of the violence and ended lives was beginning to crash in upon her now that most of her rage had been vented. She trembled from cold, pain, and shock.

"T…Takashi?" she said, pressing the call button. She didn't get a response.

"Takashi!?" she cried again.

"_Nana! Er…uh…Seraph!" _came a voice on the radio. Not Takashi.

"Who is…"

"_It's Bando! We've got a problem inside! What's the situation outside?"_

"Takashi's been shot!"

"_Fuck Takashi goddamn it, what is the goddamn situation outside! Focus! Report!"_

Anger flooded back into her.

"We're fine out here! We pushed them back inside! Front office! And don't you dare…"

"_Good! Then come in here and fucking help us! Ghost made us walking in the door and he's here now. Got us pinned down in the first floor stairwell. Need you on the second floor, get us moving again."_

Ghost. The man who'd tortured her. The man who had caused so much pain. Rage swept back into her heart at knowing he was so close and about to kill more people she cared about. She looked up and saw flashing lights in a series of second story windows. Flashes like what would come from gunfire.

"_Nana!"_

"Seraph!" she corrected angrily. She liked the name. Made her feel strong in a way she couldn't explain. She needed that strength right about then.

"I'm coming, just hold on!"

Nana, vaulted herself up quickly, taking a moment to ensure no one was looking out of the window. She saw soldiers firing their weapons downward over the railing of a flight of stairs. She saw Ghost too. He was right there, in the hallway, pulling two grenades from his belt and leaning over the railing. Eyes wide, Nana pressed the call button.

"Look out! He's throwing grenades!"

She shattered the window at the same moment he dropped the grenades downward. All turned shocked looks at the window as Nana vaulted into the room.

Ghost and Nana exchanged dark looks for a moment as all froze. When the explosions rang out, all turned their heads slightly. Nana struck out immediately and killed all within reach. Ghost, however, had been too far in the hallway. There was a silence after the explosion. No one in the room except Nana and Ghost. Face to face again at last.

"Well well," Ghost said, "fancy seeing you here."

"You bastard!" Nana hissed.

"Come and get you some, fucking bitch!"

She lashed out with her vectors, knowing he had no chance. Suddenly however, there was a shock in her mind that cut her concentration. Her vectors passed through Ghost but he simply stood there smiling.

"That all you got?"

Ghost drew his pistol and Nana panicked, knowing she'd be unable to stop the bullet. It was a .50 caliber at close range, likely loaded with tungsten and her vectors suddenly weren't working right. She dashed to a nearby room and dived just as she heard Ghost's gun firing, narrowly escaping death.

"I'm comin for you girl," she heard him say from outside. Fear began to reach through the rage, remembering that Ghost was no longer the human she'd believed he was.

He was like her. But so much worse.

* * *

><p>"I heard her!" Bando said, "she's up there!"<p>

They emerged from behind the stairwell from where they'd taken shelter from the grenade assault. It had unfortunately claimed the life of one of the two remaining soldiers they'd taken with them.

"Then let's go," Ryota said.

Bando fired a few rounds upstairs just in case, then began ascending the stairwell, his rifle held hard against his shoulders as he moved quickly.

"I'm comin for you girl," he heard.

"No motherfucker!" Bando roared, "we're coming for you!"

After a few seconds, he saw Ghost hang a submachine gun over the railing and began to blindfire over the railing. Arakawa, Bando, and the remaining soldier began to return fire. Ryota, however, began to run ahead.

"Ryota! Wait for us!"

He kept moving, not heeding Bando's call, and soon vanished around one of the bends.

"Shit" Bando screamed as he heard the downstairs door slam open.

"We've got incoming," he cried as Arakawa and the other soldier began firing downstairs. Everything seemed to be going wrong.

* * *

><p>"No motherfucker, we're coming for you!"<p>

It was Bando, coming to her rescue now. Nana scrambled up to take a cautionary peek around the door. What she saw, didn't seem to make sense to her. She saw Ghost, seemingly running for it, and then she saw Ryota scramble up the stairs and begin to chase him down in one of the second floor hallways. Instinct, as well as vengeance and curiosity, set her on her feet, and she began to give chase after the two of them. She passed through the door with speed, coming into a hallway with one side of the hallway completely made up of large windows. Shortly after entering this room, a bright light shined upon her. She turned her head while throwing her arm up to shield her eyes from the light.

"Oh no…" she whispered once she realized what she was looking at. It was a helicopter strafing the facility, and it had her in its sights. She broke into a dead run, readying her vectors to defend against what she knew was coming. Sure enough, in the next moment, gunfire began to ring out from outside. Glass shattered and the sound of the whirling helicopter blades filled the air. Shards of flying glass slashed at her skin as she ran for her life, just ahead of the bullets that were tearing the walls behind her apart.

She dived into the next room, just ahead of the helicopter assault, sliding along the floor and smashing into the wall. She had just enough time to see Ghost and Ryota vanish further upstairs, which was not her immediate concern.

"It's her!" came a voice from inside the room.

Nana looked up to find herself in a room full of soldiers who all had their guns trained on her. Panic and surprise had stayed their hand for a moment.

Nana used her vectors to get herself to her feet quickly and defend herself as she quickly darted into another large room on the second floor to escape from the assault from the soldiers. Frustration swept through her at being pushed away from her quarry. She stepped backward and prepared to fight them off. She wasn't about to let them stop her for long.

Then she heard a door off to her left slam open, and knew it was going to take a little longer than she'd thought.

* * *

><p>"Why in the shit do we not have a helicopter too!?" Bando yelled as he whirled back into the room they were using to take cover from the helicopter.<p>

"Back at the hospital," Arakawa said, reloading her pistol.

"Doing a lot of goddamn good all the fucking way back there isn't it?"

The remaining soldier that was with them opened fire towards one of the hallways. Bando looked over to see Ghost's men beginning to pour out of it. Bando and Arakawa began shooting at them as well. They fired back with a vengeance, killing the soldier next to them.

"Motherfuckers!" Bando yelled as he began firing rifle grenades into the hallway. A storm of explosions rang out, shattering windows and blowing out the far wall. Men flew about in all directions. There was relative quiet after this, save for the sounds of battle outside. Snow began to drift in the room from the blown out wall and shattered windows.

"We're not going to make it…" Arakawa said in shuddering voice. Bando looked in her direction and felt needles in his blood. She'd been shot. Looked like a shoulder wound.

"Stow that shit girl," Bando said, deciding against acknowledging her wound, hastily grabbing more rifle grenade shells from his belt and loading them into the rifle, "they're cleaning up downstairs, that's why we're seeing more guys up here. We're seeing retreating soldiers."

He racked a new grenade shell into the rifle.

"Our guys will be here soon, but we got a more immediate problem."

"The helicopter?"

"It's got to go down. We're not getting to the third floor stairwell without taking it out."

"What about the catwalks in the other direction?"

"It's going to be a hellstorm in that direction with Ghost's retreating men, and our advancing guys. Besides, I blew up one of the catwalks…"

"And taking on a helicopter is safer how?"

"Because all I need is one good shot…"

Bando looked around and grabbed an assault rifle from the floor, checked its magazine, then chambered a round. He handed the weapon to Arakawa.

"Bando, what…?"

"I need you to cover me, draw its fire."

"Are you kidding me!?"

"I'm going outside," he pointed, "through that window. I'll have a perfect shot but no way to defend myself if they're looking in my direction. I need you to get them to look the other way."

"Bando…"

"You can do this! Go!"

Bando rushed towards the window as he heard Arakawa curse and lean out of the other door. Soon after he heard gunfire from her rifle, then return fire from the helicopter peppering the hallway beyond. As they traded shots, Bando leaned out of the window to take a look. He saw the helicopter hovering there, sharp lights flashing from the mounted gun on its side.

"Here we go," Bando muttered as he climbed out of the window and began to slowly make his way closer.

* * *

><p>Ghost kept moving, shouldering open the double doors to the third floor room which housed Red Sky. Once inside, he quickly ran towards the rocket, then stopped, turning around the face the door. He didn't know what he was feeling at that particular moment. Hate, fear, apprehension. His hands shook as he waited. Any minute now. Any second. Any moment.<p>

_This is it Katsuo. He's coming. And he coming alone. _

"I know…"

_You know w…_

"…what I…have to do."

Silence then. Absolute silence. No other voice. It was just gone. Not silent, but gone. Katsuo knew why, immediately and instinctively. They had been of one mind for a long time now. There was no longer a separation between him, and that Voice.

He commanded the Voice now. It had saved him from certain death only moments ago. He had scattered Nana, defied her, and knew in his heart he could conquer her.

Ryota burst into the room, breathing heavily. Ghost stood still, unarmed, but invincible.

"Katsuo," was all he said, before aiming his pistols in Ghost's direction. Pain slashed through him. Pain, and resentment.

"Go on," Ghost said, "do it. Shoot me."

Ryota hesitated. And so did Ghost. He wanted to kill him. He also couldn't bring himself to it.

"Isn't that why you're here Ryota? Why don't you just fucking pull that trigger!?"

More hesitation. That pain began flooding to the surface.

"Go on you fucking…just…DO IT!"

"Katsuo…" he said again, hesitating as if though he'd wanted to say more.

"PULL IT!" Ghost screamed, "DO WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE YEARS AGO!"

"Katsuo, I'm sorry…"

"WHEN I WAS A BOY! WHEN YOU KILLED MY FRIENDS! WHY DID YOU LET ME LIVE!? WHY?"

He couldn't make the words stop. Why wouldn't Ryota fight him? Make the first move? Anything so he could just react and not have to think about…

"I'm so very sorry Katsuo."

"You're fucking sorry you goddamn fatherless son of a fucking whore?"

Silence after that. Ghost actually saw pain in Ryota's eyes. How DARE he act hurt. How dare he…

The sound of clattering distracted him. Looking down at Ryota's feet, he saw that he'd dropped his pistols. He started walking forward.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'd made so many mistakes. I'd thought saving you would help me atone for them. I thought raising you like my own, making you strong, seeing what you could become if given a chance at life, would make everything worth it."

Ghost remained silent as Ryota kept walking closer. He felt frozen in place. Paralyzed.

"I watched your heart darken as the years passed. I knew I'd made yet another mistake, but I couldn't bring myself to admit I'd failed you too. I believed I could still save you."

"You can stop trying now…'father'," Ghost spat bitterly, "or else you might save me to death."

"You're right Katsuo. The time for trying is over, and you cannot be saved."

Ryota paused, a mere arm's length from Ghost. They stared at each other intently. In that moment, Ghost remembered every happy moment he'd ever spent at Ryota's side. Every moment he'd seen pride in his eyes, as well as every moment Ghost had felt self-hatred when he'd seen disappointment there. How could it have gone so wrong? Why? Pain swirled through him, and he forgot where he was and who he was. For a moment, he was that child again. Staring into the eyes of a savior.

"I'm sorry I failed you," Ryota whispered.

"I…"

_Loved you._

He couldn't say the words. He needed to say them but he couldn't.

"So," Ghost said bitterly, "you saved me…for you."

Ryota stared silently. Ghost's pain crystalized into hatred, as it always did. As it always had. Even when he was a child. Ghost glared and his fists clenched as that hate took him over. Overwhelmed him. Consumed him.

"FUCK! YOU!" Ghost screamed.

A sudden movement from Ryota made him snap to attention. Ryota had unsheathed the combat knife at his belt. Ghost caught his wrist with one hand, the blade only inches from his stomach. Ryota had been aiming for where the flak vest wasn't covering his body. Ryota stepped forward and Ghost recognized the move. Ryota was about to take him off of his feet, at which point the killing blow would be instantaneous. Ghost released his power in a small, localized sonic blast around Ryota's ears. Ryota froze, disoriented from the shock to his senses, which gave Ghost time enough to disarm him.

The rest, was pure instinct.

Ghost drove the combat knife up into Ryota's ribs and twisted the knife.

They stared at one another. Each realizing what had just happened. Ghost's mouth fell agape and his lower lip trembled. Blood trickled from Ryota's mouth as he stared in wide eyed surprise.

"Ryota…I…"

The look of shock, surprise, in Ryota's face was damning. Excruciating. Ghost couldn't believe what he had just done. He wanted to take it back. Right then. But then Ryota began to slump and it became all too real.

"No…" Ghost whispered, clutching Ryota's clothes and kneeling down with him, "no no no…"

He laid Ryota gently on the ground. Ryota coughed a few times and Ghost saw blood spray from his lips.

"I didn't...I…" Ghost ran a hand roughly through his own hair in panic, "why did you make me do that? I didn't want…I…"

A gust of wind broke the relative silence. Musical sounds from the windchimes all around filled the room. The sound was solemn, funereal.

"Can…y…you ev…ever forgive m…me?" Ryota stammered weakly.

Ghost could only stare. Tears stung his eyes. He hated Ryota for it. Hated himself for it. Hated the world for it.

"End…this…" Ryota said, "please…"

Ghost opened his mouth, as if to speak. He had been about to speak, but didn't know quite what he was going to say. He never got the chance. The double doors flew open again to revel a single person. Ghost stood up quickly once he realized who.

"No…" Ryota croaked, coughing up more blood.

* * *

><p>"Oh son of a BITCH!" Bando yelled as he noticed soldiers downstairs that had looked up to see him scaling the outside wall. They fired upwards at him and his muscles tightened in fear of one of those bullets finding him when he was so vulnerable. He aimed his rifle down and returned fire, forcing them into cover. Then fired a grenade shell downward to where they were hiding. An explosion rang out and death cries followed.<p>

"One shot left," Bando said aloud. He would have felt better about that had it not been for the helicopter searchlight suddenly realigning to investigate the explosion around the corner. He then heard the helicopter rotors getting closer.

"Ah hell!" he said as he hastily started leaping from ledge to ledge. If he didn't get to the building corner before that helicopter got him in sight, he was a dead man.

As he moved closer, soldiers on the ground appeared once again, apparently also investigating the explosion. They found him immediately and started firing. He knew he'd never make it to the building's edge before they cut him down.

Two priorities, only one shot, no way back inside from where he was.

He quickly looked up, and saw the helicopter blades slightly over the roof of the second story area he was scaling. That meant they were close. He had only one chance…

"Goddammit!" he yelled as he fired his last rifle grenade at the soldiers on the ground. They scattered as the explosion rang out. It would buy him a few precious seconds. He threw his rifle aside, and began scrambling to the edge.

Only one shot at this.

* * *

><p>Nana stalked into the room, anger burning in her at the sight of Ghost right there in front of her. He was standing over Ryota, a bloody knife in his hand and shock cut through the anger for a moment.<p>

"You killed him," Nana whispered.

Ghost dropped the knife, which clattered loudly in the large room, and he took a few steps away.

"You KILLED him!" Nana screamed, using a vector to snatch the knife from the floor. She immediately flung it towards him. Ghost rolled out of the way and drew his pistol. He fired three shots at Nana, which she deflected without blinking.

"You bastard," she hissed, "I've been waiting for this."

"Oh yeah? Then come and get it bitch!" he spat back. But there was something off though. Something not quite right about his anger. She could feel it. Actually FEEL it. It felt like a mask. A wall. Something protecting him from what he really felt.

"Spare me the act," Nana said while pointing at her own head, "I know what you are and I know what you feel!"

"Bullshit!" Ghost said, "you don't know a DAMN thing!"

She saw him begin to concentrate and all around her she could see reality seeming to warp. Like air was twisting somehow. The sounds of the windchimes became painful and sharp and she began to scream in pain but couldn't hear her own voice. She roused enough to notice Ghost was aiming his gun at her again, and darted out of the way just in time to avoid several of his shots.

Sounds. He was using the sounds of the windchimes to produce painful spikes of sound. They distracted her, kept her from calling her vectors. She hid behind a nearby crate for the next round of Ghost's assault. She realized quickly that she was not going to be able to take him on head to head like this. She was already at a disadvantage.

But she had one thing. She'd felt what lay beyond his surface anger. He was grieving. He was in pain. She took a shot in the dark based on what she'd seen walking in the door.

"How could you do it Ghost!" she yelled, "how could you kill even someone you LOVED!"

"Shut the fuck up!" he screamed, "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

He lost concentration for a moment and she gained her own back. Immediately, she struck out at some of the nearby windchimes, blasting them away from the room from the holes in the walls where they'd been hung. The painful spikes of sound came back, but weaker now. She retained enough concentration to strike out at the crate she was hiding behind, blasting it outwards towards Ghost. He fired a few useless shots at it before it struck him, knocking him over and sending the gun flying out of his hand. Nana rushed him, hoping to end it quickly, but Ghost recovered faster than she'd anticipated. He brutally focused another round of sharp sound into her ears and she faltered, finding herself unable to defend against Ghost as he cruelly slammed his fist into her face. Pain went through her like she'd been thrown full force at a brick wall and she flew backwards.

He straddled her and wrapped his fists around her throat. She began to gag and claw uselessly at his powerful hands.

"Die you bitch!" he growled. Fear screamed through her as she began to lose consciousness. She knew if she did, she would never wake up.

* * *

><p>Almost there.<p>

Bando leapt to the final railing just on the corner of the building, right as the helicopter came into view. He broke into a dead run towards the handrail. He saw the gunner prepare to fire on him, but gunfire began to pepper the side of the helicopter causing him to take cover. Arakawa, watching his back.

Bando leapt onto the railing, and launched himself into the air towards the helicopter. He had hoped to land inside but the pilot had banked away from the building just as Arakawa fired upon them. Instead, Bando reached out for the helicopter's skids. He grabbed it solidly and held tightly as the helicopter moved away from the building. He locked a leg around a skid, drew his magnum, and waited. When the gunner leaned over to see what had hit the helicopter, Bando immediately shot him in the head. Blood and bone exploded from his skull as he tumbled out of the aircraft. Holstering the weapon, Bando heaved himself up and grabbed the barrel of the mounted gun for leverage when he felt hands grasp his upper arm and chest. Another soldier.

Bando grabbed his clothes in kind, then lurched up to headbutt the man in the face. Taking advantage of the soldier being stunned, he grabbed the mounted gun with one hand for leverage, then yanked the soldier out of the aircraft with the other, his scream quickly drowned out by the helicopter rotors. Looking down quickly, he saw that the helicopter had gained some altitude and was hovering just over the roof of the second floor stairwell, where he just was. Pulling himself into the helicopter, he drew his pistol once again just as the pilot turned around to see what was happening.

"Holy shi…!"

Bando put two bullets from his Desert Eagle into the pilot, then quickly bailed out of the helicopter, landing in a hard roll on the roof. He kept moving, already hearing the tell tale sounds of the helicopter spiraling out of control. He turned around only once as he ran, and his eyes went wide as he noticed the helicopter preparing to crash on the stairwell roof.

"Shit shit SHIT SHIT!" he yelled out as he made a beeline for the window he had originally crawled out of. He dove off the roof just as the helicopter slammed into it with a loud crash of grinding metal. He was in midair just as the fuel tank went up, and Bando could feel the heat just behind him as he smashed through what was left of the window, rolling a few times before hitting the opposite wall hard. He quickly covered his face with his arms as debris came flying through the windows, in addition to smoke from the explosion. A large portion of the ceiling had fallen away and fire was beginning to spread in the stairwell.

Hands were grabbing at him, helping him up. He nearly attacked the person before he realized it was Arakawa.

"Are you absolutely out of your goddamn mind!" she screeched.

* * *

><p>Nana could still feel him. The core of him. Pain and loss ripped through Ghost, and she knew it was about more than just Ryota. She could feel his raw emotion. He had some kind of link with her but had no control over it. Through that link she could even feel that he was reacting to her personally. She sensed familiarity. She reminded him of someone. Someone he lost that he didn't want to lose.<p>

It was her last chance.

She reached up slowly, no longer fighting him, and cupped his cheek with her palm.

It was as if though her touch were lightening to him, so intently did he react to her hand on his face. She felt his fingers relax. Enough for her to breathe.

"Who?" Nana asked in a weak voice.

A moment of silence then, as he seemed caught somewhere between past and present.

"Kasumi," he replied in a dead voice, caught in that link, in those memories she could feel but not see, "she had a doll…Bloss…"

Only one chance.

He was too fast for a killing blow, she would never defeat him that way. He'd scramble her vectors into something weak as he had done earlier when they passed through him.

But she didn't need them to be strong for this.

She gathered all her will and lashed out at him with all of her vectors, towards a singular target. He saw it coming, as she'd expected, and assaulted her mind with a throng of sound. Her vectors began to lose consistency with every inch, but they got closer…closer.

Time seemed to slow down, and she said a silent prayer, as quickly as she could. Hoping this would work.

The vectors were now incorporeal enough to not leave physical wounds, but still corporeal enough for one last thing. She struck forward…

And touched the pineal gland of his brain.

At that moment, her vector control vanished along with the painful sound, and she collapsed under him in pain and exhaustion. She looked up to see Ghost raise shaking hands to his head. Shock and horror was all over his face.

"What…the fuck DID YOU DO TO ME BITCH!?"

"I switched you off…asshole. That was for Mayu."

She gathered what remained of her strength and called her vectors. She lashed them out like blunt whips, not having the concentration to fashion them into edges, and blasted Ghost off and away from her. He sailed through the air and slammed onto the ground hard. He did not rise; knocked out.

"And that," she whispered weakly, and with satisfaction, "was for me."

With that, she passed out.

* * *

><p>Arakawa was past fear or shock at what she had just seen Bando do. The man was suicidal.<p>

"Are you?" she screeched again, "just completely insane!?"

"Come on," Bando said roughly, slapping her hands away, "helicopter's gone, we're clear. We have to get up there and help Ryota. And where the hell is Nana?"

Bando shook his head and he began running off towards the windowed hallway. Arakawa followed, dropping her spent rifle and drawing her pistol. She shifted the weight of the bag she carried, being as careful as possible not to let it bang anything or drop it. This would all be for nothing if the vial broke.

They ran until their lungs burned, upstairs as fast as they could. When they came to a set of double doors, Bando slowed down and readied his pistol.

"This is it," he said, "intel has Red Sky just past this door. This is what we came here for."

"I'm ready," Arakawa said, readying her pistol.

As one, they burst through the door. Almost immediately, Arakawa went into a sort of shock at the scene before her.

There it was. Red Sky, the rocket in the distance already going through the auto prep sequence before launch. It looked to be in the final stages, with launch only minutes away. But suddenly, that mattered so very little to her.

"RYOTA!" she screamed, seeing him lying there in a pool of blood. Pain turned to rage as she saw Ghost in the distance, moving wobbly towards the roof access door. She aimed her gun.

"YOU BASTARD!" she screamed as she opened fire upon him. Ghost shouldered the door open and escaped before she could hit him. Once he was out of sight, she dropped her spent pistol and hurried to Ryota's side, dropping to her knees in his blood, right next to him.

He was barely alive, but dying fast. Panic and sorrow gripped her as she grasped one of his blood soaked hands in both of hers.

"No…oh please no Ryota, please…PLEASE!"

"A…Akane."

"Why did you run off?" she said, tears beginning to gather in her eyes, "why didn't you stay with us?"

"I…h-had…to," he coughed up blood, and Arakawa gasped at the horror of it, "t…thought I c-could…s…stop him...myself. Didn't want him…t…to hurt….you."

At this, Arakawa began sobbing, and lowered her head to kiss his bloodstained lips. At this, she heard Bando start to walk towards the other person in the room. Nana. Shame coiled around her heart. Was she dead too?

"You're alright girl?" she heard him ask.

"F…fine," came Nana's weakened voice, "I…switched…him…off."

"What?"

"He…can't use…his power against…you. He's…just a…man…now."

Bando nodded, "you did good, just relax now. I'll do the rest."

"B…Bando," she whispered. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You gave em hell…Seraph," he said with a wink, "goddamn proud of you. Rest. You earned it."

He then stood up slowly and looked in Ryota's direction, who looked back at him.

"You're a damn fool old man," Bando said, his voice hoarse, and his rough demeanor forced.

"I…know."

Bando walked over towards him and kneeled down, taking his other hand.

"Finish…it," Ryota said, "both…of…you. Finish…it."

Arakawa saw Bando's head lower and his hand tighten on Ryota's. Bando's teeth gnashed and pain showed plainly in his eyes.

"Proud…of you…boy. You…became t-the man…I…I'd hoped…y-you'd be."

Bando nodded. He couldn't think of anything to say worth saying.

"Always...remember...that Bando," he said with a weak smile, "now go."

Bando hesitated only a momebt more, then abruptly stood up, and stalked off towards the roof access.

"Kill that fucking son of a bitch!" Arakawa yelled in a ragged voice.

"Just neutralize Red Sky," Bando said, smoldering anger in his voice, "I'll be right back…"

As Bando walked away, Arakawa turned her attention back to Ryota. For a long moment, she couldn't think of anything to say, which made her feel desperate. These were his last moments. She should say something.

"Akane…"

"Don't leave me," she whispered, tears falling down her cheek, "please…don't leave me."

"You're…such a s-strong…woman…"

"…please don't…"

"You have to promise…m…me," he coughed again, a faint sound now, "p-promise m…me you'll…stay…strong. For what is to come."

She sobbed silently, her mouth open and her shoulders heaving.

"Oh Ryota…I love you…"

"Promise…m-me…"

It took her three tries.

"I…I promise Ryota."

He smiled weakly, gripping her hands more tightly with his own with what strength he had left.

"I…l-lov…"

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes unfocused and unseeing. It took her a long moment to realize that he was gone. Forever. Shock and grief threatened to paralyze her as a new wave of sobs tore through her.

"Launch preparation complete," came a computerized voice from afar, "initiating ignition sequence. Red Sky deployment in t-minus two minutes."

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that there was no time to grieve. But there would be time later. She stood up, barely registering her blood stained clothes, and began to run towards Red Sky. They were out of time.

She hoped Bando was up there making Ghost suffer for everything he had done. For taking Ryota away…

* * *

><p>Bando angrily shoved the roof access door open. Freezing winter air rushed out to meet him. Searchlights aimed skyward illuminated the roof in many places but left deep shadows in others. Snow fell heavily from the dark sky and the sounds of battle were beginning to taper off further below.<p>

Ghost stood there, alone, facing him. Snow collected on his head and shoulders as he stood still. Waiting.

Bando walked slowly forward, barely registering the sound of the roof access door slamming shut behind him. There was relative silence on the roof, save for the wind and thunder above, and the crunching of snow as he stepped forward. Neither spoke as Bando closed the distance between them, stopping finally when they were several paces apart. They glared at one another as the silence stretched, hatred rendering them silent.

Bando wanted to scream at him. Spit curses and hateful threats, but nothing he could think to say could adequately express the absolute bitter hatred he carried for Ghost. Judging by the look in Ghost's eyes, he figured that went the same for him.

"He was as much my father as he was yours," Ghost said finally.

"Says the man who killed him," Bando spat, "did he mean nothing to you?"

"He meant everything to me!" Ghost yelled, "HE tried to kill ME!"

"And you didn't have it coming motherfucker? You do. You know that don't you? You've got it coming so fucking bad…"

"Well nothing's stopping you now Bando," Ghost said, "nothing and no one anymore to get in our way this time."

"You're right," Bando said, with a calm sense of finality, "only one of us is getting out of here alive."

"Maybe neither of us," Ghost said as he retrieved a device from his belt. Bando's eyes widened as he realized what it was.

* * *

><p>Arakawa slammed the viral compartment door shut and locked it just in time. She threw away Kakuzawa's viral compound, shattering it on the ground, knowing it would be useless in its liquid form and stepped away from the rocket.<p>

"Ignition in t-minus 3….2….1….ignition."

Smoke and fire blasted from the rocket's propulsion system as it was lifted into the air.

It was done. They'd stopped Red Sky. The rest was up to Bando. And Lucy.

She turned towards Nana. She had to get her out of this place.

* * *

><p>A whooshing sound made Bando turn his head around, though he quickly moved to the side to keep Ghost in his peripheral vision. Red Sky screamed into the air in a line of fire and smoke. It did not take long for the missile to disappear into the storm clouds. Bando grinned triumphantly.<p>

"We won Ghost," he said, "Arakawa neutered Kakuzawa's fucking virus. It'll be inert by morning. You've lost."

"I don't give a fuck about Red Sky. I don't give a fuck about Kakuzawa, Westmore, their plans, none of it. I don't fucking care about any of it anymore Bando. This right now? Is about you, and me."

Ghost took a few steps forward, and Bando once again eyed the device in his hand.

"You think I don't know this was all bullshit? Us being here? This battle? If you haven't figured it out yet you're fucking blind Bando."

"What are you talking about?"

"Westmore set up us all up to die here. He's got another game going. He has to. Men like him always have a plan B."

"If you know that, than why…"

"Why am I playing along? I already told you Bando, this was about you, me, and Ryota. This was about closing the circle."

"And you had to do that by killing him you son of a bitch?"

"Not just him," Ghost said darkly as he pressed a button on the device in his hand, then threw it away into the snow.

"What the hell was that?" Bando yelled.

"I had this whole motherfucker rigged before you got here. Just in case you made it this far. We've got about fifteen minutes to dance Bando, and then this place turns into a bonfire they'll be able to see from Tokyo."

Bando stared at Ghost's hate filled eyes. This was it. This would be their final fight. Bando felt the weight of finality in this moment. The impending devastation to come when those bombs went off. The impending struggle.

A strange calm fell over Bando as the moment wrapped itself around both of them.

"So," Bando said quietly, "this is it."

"Yeah," said Ghost, "this is it."

Ghost. The man he might have been. In a different life. This was more than simply facing his enemy. It was facing the darkness in himself.

"You stole my life," Ghost said quietly, "took everything from me. Why couldn't you just stay gone you fucking son of a bitch? You didn't want that life. I did!"

"I didn't take a goddamn thing from you," Bando said angrily, "Ryota took you in, gave you purpose. You had it all right in front of you, and you fucking threw it away. That wasn't my fault Ghost. It was yours."

"FUCK YOU BANDO!" Ghost screamed, "FUCK! YOU!"

"Enough," Bando said, unlatching his holster and throwing it to the ground, "come and get it you goddamn son of a whore! Let's fucking finish this!"

Ghost set his feet and ran at Bando, screaming with rage. Bando ran to meet him, the cold wind rushing against his skin, adrenaline thundering through his veins.

They met in a flurry of flying fists as a gust of wind blew snowdrifts into the air. Bando throwing weight behind punches that were expertly blocked by Ghost, who fought back with a feverish rage. Only now could Bando hear the gunfire still raging below, the explosions in the distance. It had been as though the world had gone silent just long enough for it to begin.

Ghost slapped Bando's hands away on either side and grabbed his middle, tackling him to the ground. Bando hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him as he felt Ghost's fist on his face.

"Not so FUCKING tough now huh bitch!" Ghost yelled.

Bando moved his head in time to dodge Ghost's next punch, which connected painfully with the floor. Bando reached up and cupped his hands to slap against both of Ghost's ears, stunning him. Bando used the moment to set his feet, reach up, and flip Ghost back onto the ground. Bando got a few good punches in before he saw Ghost reach into his belt for something. Bando leapt back to his feet just in time to dodge a swing from Ghost's combat knife.

Taking a few steps back, Bando drew his own knife and set himself in a defensive stance as Ghost rose back on his feet, blood dripping from his nose and mouth.

"Is that all you got?" Bando said.

"Come and find out," Ghost hissed.

The closed the distance once more. Light gleaming from their blades.

* * *

><p>Arakawa burst through the missile room with her shoulder, carrying Nana on one arm and pointing her pistol out with the other. She still heard fighting going on outside and the idea of being alone was terrifying. She didn't think her luck would hold out if anyone spotted her now. Nana groaned in her ear.<p>

"Come on Nana," Arakawa said shakily, "you've got to wake up!"

"H…Head…hurts…"

Arakawa heard voices from downstairs and fear spiked through her. She had no idea whose men were down there. She made a break for the skybridge, bursting through the door dragging Nana behind her. The ground crunched from the shattered glass and Arakawa's panic made her feel like the noise could be heard for miles.

"W…Where's….Bando...?"

"Nana, I need you to wake up, we're in trouble!"

She had just reached the other side when she heard the doors behind her slam open. She turned around and panicked when she saw it was some of Ghost's men. She whirled her pistol around and started firing down the hallway. The men dropped to the ground and returned fire as Arakawa tried to get away. She had just gotten through the door when she felt the piercing agony of a round in her thigh. She screamed and fell to the floor as the metal doors slammed shut, deflecting the rest of the assault. Pain rushed through her and left her breathless.

_This is it…I'm going to die here._

Fear and futile anger coursed through her. At least she had done what she'd come to do. She stopped Red Sky. But she had failed Ryota, and Nana. She was going to die…

"_Please live Akane…I could not bear for a soul as bright as yours to wink out this way."_

No…

Not like this…

Arakawa released the clip of her pistol and slammed her last one in, chambering the round. She pointed the weapon at the door. She was not going to be a helpless victim gunned down in cold blood. She'd go down fighting them. She'd been fighting them for so long and she wasn't going to die a victim.

"Nana, get up!" She screamed. Nana began to rouse, and open her eyes, clarity slowly entering her gaze, but not quite yet.

"Wh…What's…"

Arakawa heard a muffled, static voice coming from Nana's earpiece. Whatever it was, whatever it had said, suddenly made clarity slam into Nana's eyes with a violent force. She stood up quickly, noting Arakawa's weapon trained upon the door.

Nana reached down and grabbed Arakawa's arm, lifting her up and then bracing her on her shoulder. The fire was back in Nana's eyes and Arakawa couldn't have been more relieved.

"I've got you," was all she said.

The solders burst through the door. They never had a chance.

* * *

><p>Sparks flew as their blades met, passing by one another once more, probing each other's weaknesses. Both already wore cuts on their forearms and faces from when they broke one another's guards.<p>

"Always knew it would end this way," Ghost said, "you and me. I knew this day was coming right from the beginning."

"Yeah," Bando growled, "so did I."

They clashed again; light from the searchlights gleaming from their blades as they swung furiously at one another. Ghost caught Bando's wrist during one swing and attempted to drive his own knife into Bando's stomach, but Bando caught Ghost's wrist, then brought his knee into Ghost's groin. He immediately released Bando to step back but not before Bando managed to slash Ghost across the cheek with his knife. Rage glinted from Ghost's eyes as he raised a hand to the wound, smearing his hand and face with blood.

"You motherfucker Bando!"

"Is that all you've got? Come and get it you bastard!"

Ghost rushed Bando who braced, with a measure of amusement, at Ghost's terribly telegraphed attack, but then remembered too late that underestimating Ghost was a mistake.

Ghost's rush rapidly turned into a spin where he spun around Bando's guard and braced to ram his knife into Bando's rib. Bando leapt away just in time to miss a killing blow, but Ghost's knife still slashed painfully across Bando's side. Bando rolled and got back to his feet, placing his hand to his side. His hand came back bloody and Ghost grinned.

"Careful what you wish for Bando."

Bando spat and shook off the pain, wiping his bloodied hand on his pants to dry them, then readied himself.

"I swear you're going to die tonight," Bando growled menacingly, "you're going to pay for everything you've done…"

Bando lunged at Ghost, swiping at his knife in predictable strokes, allowing Ghost to block the blade as he gave ground to Bando's assault. He waited until he saw the smug, toothy smile of confidence. Of believing his moment to strike was coming. Then Bando adjusted his swing slightly, slicing one of Ghost's fingers. There was a split second when Ghost's guard dropped from shock at the sudden pain. Bando seized the opening to grab Ghost's knife arm at the wrist, then swung his own knife towards Ghost's stomach for a killing blow. Ghost grabbed Bando's own wrist and the two struggled while moving in circles, glaring at one another with grit teeth. Hatred in their eyes.

"Fuck….you….Bando!" Ghost spat.

"No," Bando growled, "FUCK! YOU!"

Bando set his feet, then threw a headbutt into Ghost's nose, who recoiled in pain, blood draining down his face. Ghost still had a firm grip on Bando's knife hand, so Bando released Ghost's other arm and threw an elbow into his face. Ghost let go of his arm as he fell to the ground. Bando rushed him triumphantly, going for the kill.

"I've got you now you…"

A series of beeping sounds was the only warning he received as a deafening explosion rocked the facility. Suddenly there was fire blasting through the downstairs windows and the ventilation ducts on the roof. The ground beneath their feet shook violently and he parts of the roof giving way. Ghost began laughing.

"Time's up Bando! We're both going to die here!" he said, getting to his feet.

"You first asshole," Bando said, rushing towards Ghost again. He didn't get more than two feet before the ground beneath them gave way. They fell down back into the facility, into a fury of fire and smoke.

* * *

><p>The courtyard was hell on earth now.<p>

Soldiers on both sides were dug in and fighting one another furiously, but Nana could already see Ghost's men being flanked and routed. Gunfire and explosions were everywhere and Nana could smell napalm, gasoline, and blood. Chatter coming through her headset was frenzied and almost seemed like white noise to her at this point. A grunt of pain brought Nana's focus back to Arakawa who was limping from a bullet wound to her side. The battle in the hallway had been short but furious, one of the bullets getting through Nana's guard and striking Arakawa. Her many gunshot wounds weren't fatal, but Arakawa was unable to move without help and so was leaning against Nana.

"We have to get you somewhere safe," Nana said.

"There isn't anywhere safe," Arakawa said bitterly.

"Somewhere you won't get shot again," Nana amended.

Using her vectors, Nana carried them both to a relatively remote area outside of the fenced in part of the compound. All of the attention was on the battle out front, so they were not noticed as they moved. Dim light illuminated the area where a large shipping container rested, its doors open wide. Nana moved Arakawa inside out of the falling snow, and sat her down. Arakawa shivered with pain and cold.

"Are you going to be ok?" Nana asked.

"If I can get patched up soon yes. It just hurts."

In the dark, Nana could see overwhelming despair creep across Arakawa's face.

"Akane…" she said, "I'm so sor…"

"Don't," Arakawa whispered, "just…just don't. I can't. Not now."

Nana fell silent, not knowing what to say, or if she should say anything.

"_Bando?" _came a voice on her headset, Takashi, "_Command? Seraph? What the hell is going on in there? Someone report!"_

Nana snapped back to attention. Arakawa was right, now was not the time for mourning. There was still a battle going on outside. A battle she needed to go back to.

"This is Seraph," she said in a shaky voice as adrenaline began slowly making its way back into her blood.

"_Seraph, tell me something. What's the status of Red Sky?"_

"Neutralized," said Arakawa in a hoarse whisper, having heard the question in the relative quiet.

"Red Sky has been neutralized," Nana replied, repeating Arakawa.

"_And their commander?"_

"Being neutralized," Nana said darkly.

In that moment, there was a massive series of explosions coming from the facility. Nana and Arakawa cried out in surprise as debris rained down upon the container's roof. Nana could already feel the heat from the flames.

Rushing out of the container, Nana looked on in horror as the industrial complex had become a hell of fire. Everything burned and fire leapt from nearly every window.

"_What in God's name was that!?"_

Nana's breath caught. Bando was still in there.

"I…I don't know," Nana said.

"_That blast killed most of Ghost's men who were dug in within the building. There's ordinance out here that could go up at any moment. All units, fall back now! Get the hell out of there!"_

"Bando's still inside!" Nana cried.

"_Seraph, that means you too! There's no way Bando survived that! You'll just get yourself killed going into that nightmare!"_

After everything Bando had done for them, after everything he had survived. Nana simply could not accept that Bando was gone. He had to be alive. She owed it to him to try.

"I have to go back," Nana said.

"_Seraph, Ryota made you a part of this company, and I just gave you a direct order! Do NOT go back into that building!"_

"Akane is in a shipping container off of the east side of the building, she's hurt and needs help."

"_SERAPH!"_

Nana took off her headset and tossed it on the ground. Bando was alive. Nana was not going to leave him for dead, and even if he was, she would collect his body. She would do that for him, and for Mayu who loved him. Nana looked down at Arakawa.

"Akane…"

"Go," was all she said.

Nana needed no more urging. She took off running in the direction of the burning building.

* * *

><p>Bando slowly got to his feet, his whole body screaming with pain. Looking around he couldn't quite tell where in the facility he was. Holes were blown in the roof in many places where smoke escaped from, allowing some visibility in the room. Fire burned everywhere around him and sweat began to pour out of him. The room was filled with interlocking pipes and large metal tanks. Steam rushed out of the pipes from several breaches in loud hisses that were easily heard over the sound of the flames.<p>

In front of him, he saw Ghost there, covered in blood and his clothing torn, as was Bando's. They had both lost their knives in the fall.

"Hey asshole," Ghost yelled, "I think your nine lives are almost used up."

He stalked forward towards Bando.

"I'm glad the fall didn't kill you," Ghost said, "I'm going to enjoy beating your ass to fucking death."

Bando ripped the rest of his torn shirt off and cracked his neck.

"Come and get it Ghost. Let's end this. Right now."

They both broke into a run towards one another. A fuse box exploded somewhere near them, sending sparks showering over both of them as they met in a flurry of fists. Steam rushed out like caustic mist, stinging Bando's flesh as he struggled furiously with Ghost, landing bone crushing hits and forcing himself to stay conscious when Ghost got his own in.

More small explosions rang out around them as they fought on, and Bando struggled to concentrate on his foe as the room became increasingly more unstable. Pipes groaned and burst. The sound of clanging metal rang out like violent bells.

His body screamed with pain and exhaustion, but rage fueled him. Bando remembered every moment of fear Ghost had caused those close to him. Remembered every drop of blood he'd wrung from them. Remembered Ryota. Bando attacked Ghost with a frenzied violence bordering on insanity. As Ghost began to give ground, Bando began screaming in fury.

"NEVER! AGAIN! YOU! SON OF A! BITCH!" Bando screamed, accentuating each word with a punch to Ghost's guard.

Bando set his feet and kicked at Ghost's chest. Ghost blocked the blow but it knocked him backwards into one of the steam pipes. As the hot metal touched Ghost's flesh, he screamed in pain and lurched away, only to walk right into Bando's fist. Ghost staggered away.

"FOR MAYU! NANA! AKANE!"

Each word, another fist in Ghost's face, stomach, ribs. Ghost coughed up blood.

"FOR RYOTA YOU FUCKING! BASTARD!"

Bando reared back to smash Ghost's face in, but he ducked and immediately reached down, pulling a knife from his boot. Bando noticed a steam valve behind Ghost, and as he was already committed to the punch, knew he would have one chance. The punch sailed past Ghost's head, who set himself up to deliver a killing stab to Bando. Bando spun around, caught himself by grabbing the valve, and caught Ghost's knife hand, stopping the blade inches from Bando's ribs. Bando then yanked the valve open with his other arm and ducked down.

Steam blasted into Ghost's face who cried out in pain, and lurched back, instinctively covering his eyes. Bando rushed Ghost who swiped blindly with his knife.

In a few deft movements, Bando disarmed Ghost, grabbed his shoulder, and with a scream of rage, rammed the knife into Ghost's ribs, through them, and into his heart.

Shock and pain made Ghost's eyes snap open. The world seemed to stop. Even the room seemed to quiet down as the release of steam pressure caused the pipes to quiet somewhat. Disbelief entered Ghost's eyes as he slowly looked down to see the knife embedded in his chest.

"Huh…" was all he said, before sinking to his knees. Bando followed him down, holding him up with the hand on his shoulder. Both men panted with pain and exhaustion and the moment seemed surreal. Bando had won. Ghost would not be walking away from this. Both stared at one another in silence for a while as the finality of the moment settled in on them both.

"So," Ghost said in a ragged whisper, "this is it."

"Yeah," Bando replied.

"I'm going…to die. It's…over now."

"It's over now," Bando repeated.

Another silence stretched and Bando could barely hear the sounds of the outside world. They didn't register in his mind.

"I…never had a chance…anyway," Ghost said quietly, "in…my life…I mean."

"But you had a choice."

"Did…I?" Ghost said, laughing bitterly and coughing up blood, "no…what I had…was fate. And that's what you've got…too…Bando."

Bando remained silent, barely feeling the heat of the flame around him. He knew it was getting worse and he should get out of there now. But Ghost's eyes, this moment, kept him rooted.

"Dying…like…this," Ghost continued, "it's our…fate. As…warriors."

Ghost cracked a smile from his bloodstained lips.

"I…may be…a monster. But…at…least…I still…have this. At least…I got…to die…as a man."

Bando stood up as he saw Ghost begin to slip away. Not long now. Not long.

"Maybe...you're right...Bando. I did...have a choice. I chose this. I wanted to be here. Didn't...have a...say in how...I lived."

Ghost coughed up a mouthful of blood, then continued.

"But I could choose how I died. T...that's really...a...all I...had...left."

Ghost laughed bitterly.

"I wonder what you'll choose," Ghost said in a hoarse whisper, "its Vanith you know. Angel…needs…him. He is…her world. And that…is where you…will find her. If that's...your...choice."

_The hospital. Shit!_

"Find her…and meet…your…fate…Bando."

And then, he was gone. His last breath spent, his eyes unseeing, his body unnaturally still.

Ghost, at long last, was dead.

Bando stared down at his enemy's corpse and thought of a hundred things he felt like doing to humiliate the body out of the burning anger still boiling inside of him. However, he couldn't bring himself to it. Ghost was one side of a coin, and Bando was the other. In Ghost, Bando saw what he might have become. If Lucy had not crossed his path. If he'd never met Mayu.

Perhaps Ghost was right in a way. Fate brought them together, but Bando still believed there had been a choice. Fate only gave him the chance to choose. With this victory, he knew beyond all doubt that he had chosen right.

As the flames burned all around him, he let the last of his former self burn away. Die away…

The old Bando was gone forever.

He was reborn in flames.

* * *

><p>Nana tore apart another collapsed section of wall as she cut a path through the burning complex. She had tried to find windows or doors to reenter the building but found them all either choked with fire and smoke, or blocked by debris. If Bando was still alive, he would never escape the building without help. Panic threatened to consume her. They'd already lost so much. So many soldiers, and Ryota too. And who knows what else was happening in the city. She had to save him, he had to be alive.<p>

She kicked something with her shoe and looked down, the sight froze her in place. It was a Desert Eagle, lying on the ground. Silver, so Nana knew it had to have been Bando's. She slowly bent down and picked the heavy pistol up off the floor. Despair threatened to overwhelm her. Was she too late? Was Bando gone?

Suddenly, Nana heard the loud sound of groaning steel coming from above her. Nana looked up and gasped as steel girders and part of the upper walkways began crashing down upon her. She called her vectors and smashed them away, screaming as she knew there was too much to stop on her own.

She was suddenly, and roughly, snatched up by a large, dark figure, who leapt with her out of the way of the collapsing ceiling. The debris landed loudly and more flames rushed outwards from sections of the walls that collapsed from the falling girders. Nana coughed loudly, having accidently inhaled a mouthful of smoke when she'd gasped. As she collected herself, the figure helped her to her feet.

"You alright girl?" a familiar voice asked.

She looked up to see Bando's dirty, bloodstained face. She had never seen a more welcome sight.

"Bando!" she cried, wrapping her arms around him in a quick, fierce hug.

"Later," he barked, "let's get the fuck out of here before it all comes down on our heads!"

"I cut a path back the way I came! Follow me!"

They began running as the sounds of destruction followed them. Exploding fuses, collapsing ceilings and walls threatened to stop them every few moments. It was almost like the building was one large, burning monster that knew they were trying to escape it's hungry jaws.

As if to confirm this, the exit ahead was suddenly blocked again by falling debris. But up above was a partially shattered window from which smoke was escaping.

"Nana!"

"Hang on!" she cried as she lifted them both with her vectors.

They sailed towards the window as fire behind them caught a cache of ammunition that had been placed there by fortified soldiers. An explosion tore out from behind them as they crashed through the window, fire licking at their heels and freezing wind meeting them as they passed. They both hit the ground running as the building finally began to completely collapse loudly to the ground. Once they finally reached a safe distance, they turned around and glanced at the destruction behind them. The complex was completely bathed in flame and sections of the building kept collapsing in on itself.

They'd made it. They had survived. More than that, they had defeated Ghost and stopped Red Sky. From behind them, they heard cheers. Slowly, Nana and Bando turned to face the men, clothes torn, bodies aching, bloody, and filthy from dirt and smoke ash. They faced the men and saw them elated with victory. Men who had faced overwhelming odds and had conquered them. Just as she and Bando had done.

Nana heard the men chanting names. Some cried Bando's name, and others roared the name Seraph. A new name. Her name.

Nana wanted so badly to collapse right there in exhaustion, but a new sense of strength and pride kept her on her feet. She had walked into the fire and had come out different.

"Nana," Bando said quietly, and with a small furtive smile, "you did good."

Nana smiled and nodded. She glanced over to Bando.

"He's gone?" She asked.

"He's gone," Bando replied gravely.

Nana took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Justice had finally caught up with Ghost. She was relieved to know he was dead. She couldn't think of a person who deserved it more.

Except perhaps for Angel...

Two figures broke from the crowd of soldiers. Takashi and Arakawa, who was patched up and walking with assistance from Takashi. Nana and Bando waited while they approached them. Takashi pointed at Nana angrily as he got closer.

"Damn you, I gave you an order not to go back into that building!"

"But look what I found? Can we keep him?"

Bando snorted, then broke out into a laugh.

"This isn't funny!"

"It's a little funny," Bando retorted, "also, fuck you."

"Look Bando, I had to…"

"Yeah yeah, I get it," Bando said, "still…our girl here knew what she was doing. She's tough as nails."

He nudged her roughly with his elbow and she had to catch herself, lest exhaustion cause her to fall over.

Takashi huffed, then smiled, "I'm glad you two are ok."

Bando pointed his thumb backwards towards the burning building, "going to take a little more than that to stop us."

"On that note, can I get a damn report? Had NO idea what was going on in there and then suddenly boom."

As Bando stepped away to give his report, Nana looked amongst the cheering soldiers and felt swept up in their victorious cries. She knew it wasn't over yet but she couldn't help but feel good about their victory here. Some of the soldiers were not cheering as visibly, still covering some of Westmore's soldiers who had allowed themselves to be taken prisoner. Looking over her shoulder, Nana looked at the destroyed structure, burning in a tower of flames. Nana felt it was somewhat symbolic. A forge in which she burned. A trial that tried to break her, but only made her stronger.

Ghost was back there somewhere. Dead. Burning in flame and buried by debris. She felt a dark, violent satisfaction at knowing it. At having been able to get a piece of him herself before Bando finished him.

"We got you," she whispered, "we got you, you son of a bitch."

A snippet of conversation caught her attention. Bando, Takashi, and Arakawa were talking in serious tones.

"Repeat that," Bando said urgently.

"When we were rounding up Westmore's men," Takashi said, "the ones that surrendered, we caught some chatter on their comms. There was a sizable second squad out there that Westmore was leading personally. They hit the hospital Bando. They've got Vanith."

"Fuck!" Bando exclaimed, "Westmore doesn't know what he's done! Angel's gunning for Vanith! He's been her target this whole time and when she finds him…"

"Bando," Takashi said gravely, "it's already too late."

Nana's heart stopped and her breath caught. It was only then that she noticed a radio in Takashi's hands.

It was only then that she heard the sounds of American voices screaming orders and commands.

It was only then, that she noticed the white noise filtered sounds of men screaming.

"It gets worse," Takashi continued, "some of Westmore's smaller squads in the city are tracking one of their stolen military vehicles. They've confirmed that Lucy is one of the passengers, along with several other people."

Nana's heart stopped and her elation vanished. How could she have forgotten? Her family was out there, and they were in danger…

"They're WHAT!?" Nana heard Bando roar, having missed what Takashi had said next.

"They've been seen heading for Westmore's convoy," Takashi repeated, "the…convoy that's currently under attack."

Bando immediately broke off into a hurried walk towards a nearby equipment truck. He quickly dressed in a black short sleeved shirt, then threw a vest over it. He then grabbed an assault rifle and started quickly stuffing ammo and equipment in the vest pockets.

"Bando?" Takashi said in a rising voice.

"I'm going."

"We're all going," Takashi said, "we have to finish this."

"I'm going ahead of you. I can get there faster than the rest of you guys on my own."

"Alone? Bando that's crazy."

"Not alone," Nana said as she walked over towards Bando, "I'm going with you."

Bando offered no protest to her decision. He hurried off towards where some of Ghost's military vehicles, that hadn't been destroyed, were parked. Nana heard Takashi attempting another protest, and heard Arakawa silence it with a protest of her own, but she didn't hear the words. The only thing that mattered anymore was getting to her loved ones.

Before Angel killed them all.


End file.
